The Neverending Winter
by Narnian Nights
Summary: When Lucy goes to Narnia, she meets the witch. What will happen? What will she do? And what will she become? Based of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
1. Chapter 1 Meeting A Witch

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Note: Yay! New story! I know I probably should be working on Peter Goes To College and It Started At The Creek but I just had to put this one up! It's a different version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe that may carry over into Prince Caspian. Many things will be similar! Please review!**

The Neverending Winter

Chapter 1. Meeting A Witch

"Come on Peter, gastorvascular." Susan said.

"Is it Latin?" Peter asked.

"Yes." Susan said.

"Is it Latin for, worst game ever invented?" Edmund asked. Peter chuckled, and Susan slammed the dictionary shut.

"We could play hide and seek." Lucy sugjested, walking up to the others.

"But we're already having so much fun." Peter said glancing at Susan, whohe gave him a dirty look.

"Come on Peter! PLEASE!" Lucy begged.

Peter sighed. "One... two... three... four..." Peter started counting as Lucy's grin widened.

"What?!" Edmund exclaimed, but got up and started looking for a hiding spot. Susan found a trunk and got in it. Edmund and Lucy ended up racing each other, to a curtain. Lucy had gotten there first but Edmund pushed her out.

"I was here first!" he said.

Lucy huffed and ran off. She tried one room, but it was locked. When she tried the next, it opened and had a wardrobe inside. When Lucy walked in the wardrobe, she could still faintly hear Peter counting. But when she started backing up, she found there was no back to the wardrobe, but a snowy forest instead. She looked back to make sure the wardrobe door was still there, and stepped out of the thicket. When she did, she found everything more beautiful than before. She walked further and further, and soon she passed a lampost. But she continued on.

Soon she heard what sounded like bells. At first she ignored it but it came closer, and closer, until she had nearly been run over.

"Catch it." she heard someone say. She was frozen from fear, and couldn't move. A small man jumped off the sleigh and started coming toward her. She didn't have time to run, even she could. "What is it?" she heard the woman say again.

"It's a Daughter of Eve your majesty." the little man replied.

"A Daughter of Eve!" the woman exclaimed before standing up. To Lucy, she was the ugliest woman in the world, yet she was very beautiful. "What is your name, Daughter of Eve?" the woman asked. Lucy said nothing. "I asked you a question." the woman said walking closer. "ARE YOU DEAF! ANSWER ME!" the woman yelled. When Lucy didn't reply again, the woman slapped her, making her fall down. "Now, answer me!" the woman said.

"Lucy." Lucy said, trying not to cry.

"And how did you come here?" the woman asked.

"I... I came in through the wardrobe." Lucy replied.

"And do you have any siblings?" the woman asked.

This time, Lucy had no intention of replying. It could put Peter, Susan, and Edmund in danger. "Answer me NOW!" the woman yelled.

"No!" Lucy said. The woman slapped her again.

"Now! Answer me!" the woman said.

"No." Lucy said.

"Whip her." the woman said to the dwarf.

The dwarf started whipping her where she was on the ground. Lucy kept the tears from falling. "I'm taking the answer no that you do. And you must really care about them, to take a whipping for them." the woman said. Lucy said nothing, just took deep shuddering breaths. "Come Ginnarkbrik" the woman said "And also, you will bring them to my castle, you can find it between those two hills" the woman said pointing.

"Why... should I?" Lucy asked.

"It's either them, or you." the woman said climbing into her sleigh, leaving the bleeding Lucy to bleed.

"You poor girl!" someone exclaimed, coming from the bushes, after the woman had left. She saw a man with goat legs!

"What are you?" Lucy asked weakly.

"I'm a faun. My name is Tumnus." the faun replied.

"It's nice to meet you." Lucy said weakly.

"Where do you live, and I can help you get back home." the faun said.

"I came past a lampost." Lucy replied.

"Can you find your way back, if I get you there? the faun asked.

"I think I can." Lucy replied.

"Then I shall help you home." the faun said, helping her up. He helped walk her home and by the time they got to the lampost, Lucy was crying from the pain. "If you ever come back, come visit me. I don't live far from here, and there's the trail." the faun said pointing.

"Will you be alright? Won't you get in trouble for helping me?" Lucy asked.

"As long as none of the trees saw us." he replied.

"The trees?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, some of them are on her side. But know you will have a place of shelter, if you come back here." the faun said.

"Thank you." Lucy said.

"Now go." the faun said tapping her on the nose "Go." he said pushing her along. She carefully walked back to the entrance and fell out of it when she got there. She let out a cry of pain, but got up and walked out of the room. She was still bloody, and knew her siblings would be wondering what happened to her. When she walked past where Edmund was hiding he peaked his head out at the noise. His eyes went wide when he saw his little sister. He didn't care much for her, but he certainly didn't want to see her in pain.

"Lucy! What happened to you?" he exclaimed coming out from the spot.

She shrugged him off and kept walking. Peter came up and stopped when he saw Lucy. "Lucy." Edmund called out. Then Susan came up, and just barely caught a glimpse of her sister, but not the bloody part of her.

"Does this mean I win?" Susan asked.

But before they answered Peter turned on Edmund. "What did you do to her!?" Peter yelled.

"Me? I had been hiding when she came out of that room like that!" Edmund yelled back.

"Would you two stop! What's going on?" Susan asked.

"Well if Edmund didn't do it I don't know." Peter replied.

"You actually think I would beat Lucy up?" Edmund asked.

"Well you've picked on her." Peter replied.

"Yeah, but I haven't touched her!" Edmund said.

"Just stop!" Susan yelled "Alright Ed, what did you see?"

"I didn't see much. I think she went in one of those rooms, and then a few seconds later, I heard crying, I peaked my head out, and saw Lucy bloody and crying." Edmund replied.

"I wonder what happened." Peter said.

"Nothing but to ask." Edmund said walking past Peter. They found her asleep on her and Susan's bed.

"Or we could wait until later." Peter sugjested. So for the time being they could only wonder what had hurt their sister so.

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**Like it, hate it? Should I stop, or keep going? Your choice, but you have to review!**


	2. Chapter 2 Meeting Mr Tumnus

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Note: Since people asked for me to post the next chapter, here it is. Enjoy!**

The Neverending Winter

Chapter 2. Meeting Mr. Tumnus

When Lucy woke up she felt Susan beside her, and it was dark. But there was something different, she looked over and saw Peter and Edmund curled up together in a chair.

"Well that's a change." she mumbled to herself. She looked down and saw she was still wearing her clothes for the day, and was still extremely bloody. She picked up her nightgown and robe and walked to the bathroom. As quietly, and as gently, as she could, she wiped most of the blood off of herself and changed, for she was still extremely sore.

She walked back to the bedroom, and before she layed back down, she was desperate to know if Mr. Tumnus was alright. But could she face going back? She knew she had to try. She couldn't let one incident ruin this new land where she had met a new friend in. She picked up the candle and started her way to the spare room. She hesitated when reaching for the door nob, but pulled the door open anyway. When she did, the candle light blew out. She put it down and walked in.

But she hadn't gotten far when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She gasped and whipped her head around, but saw Edmund.

"Ed, you scared me." she exclaimed in a whisper.

"I know, sorry." Edmund said with a grimace.

"It's alright." Lucy said.

"Now where are you going? And where are we?" Edmund asked looking around.

"I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I was going to see Mr. Tumnus, the faun. He helped me back home when... when..." but Lucy broke off and looked at the ground.

"Now what exactly happened to you?" Edmund asked.

"I was walking around, and ran into a very tall evil woman. When I didn't answer her questions she... she..." but this time Lucy broke off crying. Edmund didn't know what to do. He had never had to comfort her before, of course, he had never wanted to, but now, all he wanted to do was comfort her, he couldn't stand to see her in so much pain, so he carefully pulled her to him. After she calmed down she grabbed his hand and started pulling him further down the trail.

"Where are we going?" he asked, slightly amused.

"To Mr. Tumnus's of course!" Lucy replied. On the way Lucy started laughing without reason.

"What's wrong with you?" Edmund asked, even more amused.

"Did you know that you were snuggled up with Peter in the chair when I woke up." she chuckled.

"Well, we still weren't sure what had happened to you, so he didn't want me to sleep alone, and we didn't want you and Susan unguarded, so, oh get over it." he said. Lucy chuckled even more. And soon they came to Mr. Tumnus's house. Lucy nocked on the door. They heard shuffling from inside, and soon the door opened.

"Lucy Pevensie?" Mr Tumnus's asked shocked.

"Please, Mr. Tumnus, call me Lucy." Lucy replied.

"Ok... Lucy... you look alot better than you did. Do you feel any better?" Mr. Tumnus asked.

"I'm still extremely sore, but a bit better, yes." Lucy replied.

"So, who is this?" Mr Tumnus asked looking at Edmund.

"This is my brother Edmund." Lucy replied.

"Yes, I can see that, you have the same nose." Mr. Tumnus said. Lucy crinkled her nose up, and Edmund rubbed his. Mr. Tumnus chuckled as they did so. "Well, come on in, it's dreadfully cold out there." Mr. Tumnus said inviting them in. Lucy and Edmund walked in, as Mr. Tumnus put a pot of tea on. Mr. Tumnus only had one chair, but both Lucy and Edmund were content with Lucy sitting on Edmund's lap.

After they visited for a while, Lucy and Edmund started back home. They hadn't gone far when Lucy heard bells. She pushed herself and Edmund in the bushes.

"Stay down, don't talk." Lucy whispered.

Thankfully, the sleigh passed by, not even noticing Lucy was there. As soon as Lucy was sure the sleigh was gone, she let out a breath.

"Was that the White Witch Mr. Tumnus told us about?" Edmund asked. Lucy could say nothing, just nodded her head in reply.

"Let's just get home." Lucy said grabbing Edmund's arm. And with that the two of them ran home as fast as they could, actually as fast as Lucy could. The thought had come to Edmund's head, _I could carry her home _but the thought came when they were at the thicket that would take them home. He caught her as she nearly fell out, and he nearly fell himself, and they walked back to bed, but not without grabbing the candle first.

When they walked into the room, Peter was waking up. He seemed shocked not to have Edmund in his lap, but when he saw Edmund and Lucy in the doorway, Lucy looking much better, he was relieved.

"Your finally awake." Peter said letting out a deep breath. Susan rolled over as soon as Edmund turned the light on.

"What's going on?" Susan mumbled sleepily. But then she saw Lucy awake and jumped up, automatically going into older sister mode. "Oh Lucy, your alright!" Susan exclaimed. Lucy nodded her head. She looked over her shoulder at Edmund.

"Tell them." he said encouragingly. She looked uncomfortable.

"Go on." Edmund urged gently.

"Come on." Peter said, carefully picking her up and walking over to the bed. He layed her parctically on top of him, and ushered for Edmund to come and lay beside him. Edmund relit the candle, and turned off the overhead light, then layed down beside Peter. With all of her siblings surrounding her, Lucy told the story, leaving out the part of why the woman had done it to her, yet Peter and Susan didn't seem to believe her, or Edmund when he said it was real. But they all shrugged it off for the night, and went to sleep as they were.


	3. Chapter 3 Into Narnia

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Note: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! Please review!**

The Neverending Winter

Chapter 3. Into Narnia

"Come on, why don't we go play cricket?" Susan asked.

Lucy looked at her funny. "Your joking right?" she asked.

Edmund chuckled, and Peter gave Susan a look, as if to say "she has a point".

"But you guys can, I don't mind watching." Lucy said.

"Are you sure?" Peter asked.

"I'm sure." Lucy replied.

"Alright then, let's go play cricket." Edmund said.

But it was when they got outside, he found he really didn't want to be outside. He started thinking about Narnia, and how Mr. Tumnus was, and if that dreadful winter was over yet, when he felt a pain in his leg.

"OW!" he exclaimed.

"Whoops. Sorry." Peter called out. Susan picked up the ball and threw it back to him, nearly hitting him.

"It's alright, I guess." Edmund said "As long as you didn't mean to do it on purpose."

"Of course I did it on purpose!" Peter joked.

"Haha, very funny." Edmund said holding back his smile. Susan shook her head at the two. "But why can't we play hide and seek again? Just be more wary about the spare room?" Edmund asked.

"I thought you said that was a kids game?" Peter asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I've changed my perspective, especially since it became, make sure your not found in another world, just in case an evil woman comes up and decides she doesn't like you, hide and seek." Edmund said.

He heard Lucy stiffle a chuckle. "That wasn't my fault!" she said.

"I didn't say it was." he replied.

"Besides," Susan said breaking in the conversation "we could all use the fresh air."

Edmund mumbled something about their being air inside, but Susan ignored it. He may have changed after what happened to Lucy, but he could still whine a bit!

"Are you ready?" Peter said tossing the ball back and forth in his hands.

"Are you?!" Edmund replied.

"We'll see." Peter said winding up, and then throwing the ball. Edmund smashed it and flew through a window, with a _CRASH_. Lucy walked up to Edmund and stood there in disbelief along with the others. They walked inside and found where the window had broken. Peter and Susan focused on the window, while Edmund and Lucy payed attention to the broken armor.

"You know, just last night, Peter and I were wondering if we could take this apart and put it back together, looks like nows our chance." Edmund said.

"What on earth is going on up there!" they heard Mrs. Macready shout.

"THE MACREADY!" Susan exclaimed.

"Come on!" Peter said grabbing Edmund's arm and pushing him out the door, pulling Susan and Lucy with him. And when they had no where else to run, they found out of panic, they had run into the Wardrobe Room.

Edmund ran over and opened the wardrobe door. "Lucy I know you don't want to but..."

"It's our only chance!" Lucy said finishing for him, and running through the door after him. Susan and Peter followed and passed them up before reaching the back. Each of them came tumbling out on the Narnian side of the wardrobe. Susan stood up and looked around in disbelief.

"Impossible." she said.

"Don't worry." Lucy said getting a mischeivous grin, looking over at Edmund, then back at Peter and Susan "I'm sure it's just your imagination." Peter looked between Edmund and Lucy. He kept his gaze with Edmund long enough for Lucy to make a snowball, then he looked back at Lucy.

"I don't suppose saying we're sorry, would quit cover it?" Peter asked.

"No, it wouldn't." Lucy replied. Then Edmund lobbed a snowball at Peter's back, and as Peter turned around to look at him, Lucy nailed him in the back of the head. "But that might!" she exclaimed.

"Cheater!" Susan said, hitting Lucy with a snowball, but Peter was the one that get her right in the face. Edmund got Susan a few times, and when the were all wore out, they started looked around again.

"Maybe we should go back." Susan said.

"I think Lucy and Edmund should decide. We didn't believe them in the first place, so they deserve it." Peter said.

Lucy and Edmund exchanged a glance, and then their faces lit up. "MR. TUMNUS!" they exclaimed.

"Well then, Mr. Tumnus it is!" Peter said.

"But we can't go hiking in the snow, dressed like this!" Susan said.

"No" Peter said walking back into the wardrobe "But I'm sure the Proffessor wouldn't mind us using these." he said handing Lucy a coat "Besides if you think about it logically we won't even be taking them out of the wardrobe." Peter said handing Edmund a coat.

"But that's a girls coat!" Edmund exclaimed.

A smile grew on Peter's face. "I know." he said.

Lucy chuckled. "At least try it on!" she exclaimed. He put it on and found it quit comfortable. "You look lovely!" Lucy said.

"Shut up." Edmund mumbled.

"Yes ma'am." Lucy replied.

"Alright! That's it!" Edmund said before picking up a snowball.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Peter scolded "Put the snowball down."

Edmund was about to put it down when he said "Ok." walked over and put it down the back of Peter's shirt.

"OH DEAR LORD THAT'S COLD!" Peter shreiked, in a near girl voice.

Susan and Lucy cracked up laughing, and Edmund was enjoying every second of it!

"That's it!" Peter yelled lunging at Edmund putting a snowball down Edmund's back, but Edmund acted unaffected.

"Eh, I deserved it." he said standing up.

"How are you doing that?" Peter asked.

"I know how to control myself." Edmund replied.

"Yeah yeah yeah." Peter mumbled walking past him.

"Lead on Lu." Peter said. She walked up and started leading everyone. For the most part, Edmund stayed beside her, since he was the only other one that knew the way. When they rounded the corner, Lucy saw the door busted in, making her freeze where she was. Edmund bumped into her, and then saw what she was looking at.

"Lu? Ed?" Peter asked. But without answering both of them took off running towards the little cave. "LUCY! EDMUND!" Peter called running after them, Susan not far behind. When they entered, it was worse than they originally thought. The place had been ran-sacked, and there was no Mr. Tumnus, but there was a note. And when they read it they found that the police had arrested Mr. Tumnus, for treachery, and comforting her enemies, but in the Pevensie's opinion, he had saved Lucy, and he shouldn't be _arrested _for it.

"Now we really should go back." Susan said.

"But what about Mr. Tumnus?" Lucy asked.

"He was arrested for just being with a human, I don't think there's much that we can do." Susan replied.

Peter gave Susan a look. "Don't worry Lu, we'll figure out something." he said bending down to Lucy.

"He shouldn't be considered a criminal." Edmund said looking over the note once again, making sure they hadn't missed something, or even the fact it might be a prank. Susan nodded her head sadly in agreement. And they stood their trying to figure out what to do, until a _PSST _broke the silence...


	4. Chapter 4 Mr Beaver

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**_

**Note: I am SOOOO sorry this took so long to get up! Can you ever forgive me? I hope you can. Please? /puppy-dog pouts\ Anywho... here's the next chapter!**

The Neverending Winter

Chapter 4. Mr. Beaver

_And they stood there trying to figure out what to do, until a _PSST _broke the silence..._

"Did that bird just Psst us?" Susan asked. Peter walked out, and looked around, the others not far behind him. They heard a rustle in the bushes to their right, then to their left, then in front of them. They all huddled together, maybe they could pose as enough of a threat together, and waited. And not to much later, a beaver popped out.

"It... it's a beaver." Lucy said shocked.

"Here boy." Peter started calling the beaver to him and held out his hand. And when the beaver was right up to him, it stood up on it's hind legs.

"I'm not gonna smell it if that's what you want." he said.

"Oh, sorry." Peter said backing up. Lucy was chuckling, Edmund didn't know what to do, and Susan was just looking at the beaver like it was aboslutely crazy.

"Lucy Pevensie?" the beaver asked.

Lucy stopped chuckling. "Yes?" she asked stepping forward. He handed her a hankercheif. "I was wondering where this went. I had left it at Mr. Tumnus's." Lucy said.

"Yes, he got in the gist just before they took him." the beaver replied.

"Is he alright?" Lucy asked.

The beaver looked around. "Further in." he whispered, turning and scampering towards the place he had come. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy started following the beaver.

"What are you doing?" Susan asked.

"The beaver said he knows the faun." Peter replied.

"He's a beaver, he should be saying anything!" Susan exclaimed.

"She has a point." Edmund chuckled.

"Is everything alright?" the beaver asked.

"Yes, we were just talking." Peter replied.

The beaver looked around again. "That's better left for in private." the beaver whispered.

Edmund and Lucy looked up. "He means the trees." they said at the same time. Peter looked back at Susan as the four started walking behind the beaver. Not long after they had started, the beaver, and Lucy stopped dead in their tracks.

"What's wro... "

"SSHH!" both Lucy and the beaver shushed Peter.

"Get in the bushes! Quick!" the beaver said, practically pushing them all in the bushes. Edmund had known to stay quiet, but Susan spoke up, and Edmund slapped his hand over her mouth.

Sure enough a sleigh stopped not but a few feet away. Lucy started shaking out of fear, but kept quiet. Peter gripped her hand tightly, trying to comfort her, but both knew it wasn't working.

"Move on." the woman said. The sleigh started again, and after Lucy was sure the woman was out of ear range, she let out a deep shuddering breath.

"That was to close for comfort." the beaver said.

"You have no idea." Lucy whispered taking another shuddering breath, still shaking terribly.

"What's wrong?" the beaver asked.

"I ran into her my first time here. When I didn't tell her what she wanted..." but this just made Lucy start crying at the memory.

"Is that the scar across your face?" he asked.

Lucy fingered it and nodded her head. "And there's more where that came from." she replied.

The beaver grimaced. "Well, come on, my wife will be worrying about us, and I'm probably going to get a lecture as is." the beaver said. They looked around and started back on their journey, hoping and praying they didn't come across the white witch again.

It was nearly dark when they got to the Beaver's house, and they could see smoke, meaning the she-beaver had a nice fire going.

"Beaver! Is that you! I've been worried sick! If I find you've been out with badger again I'll..." but she stopped when she saw the Pevensie's "Oh those aren't badger's. Well I never thought I'd live to see this day!" but then she looked at Mr. Beaver "Look at my fur, you couldn't have given me 10 minutes warning?" she asked.

"I would have given you a week if I thought it would have helped." Mr. Beaver chuckled.

She looked back at the kids. "Well, come on inside, and we'll see if we can't get you some food, and some _civilized _company." Mrs. Beaver said. Mr. Beaver gave a funny chuckle pointing at Mrs. Beaver.

"Watch your step." he said. Lucy stopped and looked at the two hills. She didn't want to turn them in, but she did want to keep them from getting hurt. And she wondered, if she went herself, would the witch would leave her siblings alone.

"Enjoying the scenery, are we?" Mr. Beaver asked, forcing a smile on his face. Lucy looked down at him, and when she blinked again it was to blink back tears. She had made her decision, she would go on without them, and maybe, just maybe, that would spare her family their lives. So she went into the little house, to spend the last few possible minutes with her siblings, and their new friends.


	5. Chapter 5 Leaving

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

The Neverending Winter

Chapter 5. Leaving

"Lu, are you going to come eat?" Susan asked. Lucy continued to stare out the window. "Lucy?" Susan asked again. Lucy finally looked over. "Are you going to come eat?" Susan asked again.

"Oh, yeah. Sure." Lucy said walking over to the table.

"Are you alright Lu?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, perfectly fine." Lucy replied.

"Mmhmm." Susan mumbled. Lucy started nibbling on the fish Mr. and Mrs. Beaver had prepared. Lucy heard the others talking, but payed no attention, just savoring the moment.

"Aslan, is on the move." she heard Mr. Beaver say. Something in her heart rose when she heard the name Aslan.

"Who's Aslan?" Edmund asked in a transe like voice.

Mr. Beaver started laughing. "Who's Aslan, you cheekie little blighter." They stared at him in confusion. Mrs. Beaver tapped her husband's arm. "What?" he asked. Then he looked at the children's faces. "You don't know do you?" he asked.

"Well, we haven't exactly been here very long." Peter replied.

But Lucy started sneaking away. And since she was so small she was able to sneak out. Her eyes filled with tears as she started wading through the snow. She didn't want to leave, but she knew if she didn't, somehow the witch would find out and come after her _and _her siblings, so she continued on.

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"Come on Ed." Peter said lightly shaking his little brother.

"What?" Edmund asked looking at him.

"Come on, we're leaving." Peter said.

"But... why?" Edmund asked confused.

"Because, this whole situation is out of our hands." Peter replied.

"Now Lucy I know... Lucy? Lucy?!" Peter said after turning around to find his youngest sister gone.

"Lucy!" Susan nearly screamed.

"Where'd she go?" Peter asked.

Edmund turned pale. "I think I know." he said.

"Where?" Peter and Susan asked at the same time.

"There was a part of the story Lucy left out. The reason the witch whipped her. She said because of the questions that she didn't answer, but the questions were about us." Edmund replied.

"That still doesn't answer our question." Susan said.

"I think she's afraid of what Jadis will do to _us _so she's gone herself." Edmund replied.

"She wouldn't!" Susan exclaimed.

"I don't know, but it does seem to fit." Peter said.

"Well come on! We have to try and stop her! Though her intentions are kind, who knows what may happen to her." Mr. Beaver said.

"What do you mean?" Susan asked.

"If the white witch did that much to your sister, for not answering questions, imagine what she'll do when your sister arrives there, empty-handed, no siblings in tow." Mr. Beaver replied.

"We've got to find her, now!" Peter exclaimed pulling on his coat, and literally throwing Edmund and Susan their coats. They pulled them on and with Mr. Beaver leading the way, they ran out into the snow, in search of their sister.


	6. Chapter 6 Meeting Evil Once Again

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

The Neverending Winter

Chapter 6. Meeting Evil Once Again

Lucy slowly climbed the hill, tears falling down her cheeks. And it was so cold, she was surprised they hadn't frozen where they were on her face. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she found the castle. When she saw it, she could feel the evil. And she thought to herself _"No matter how scared I am, I have to do this. For Peter. For Susan. And for Edmund." _

She kept that thought as she walked on. And when she got to the door she heard someone shout her name. She looked up at the hill she had just, practically rolled down. She saw Peter, Susan, and Edmund. She could just barely make out one of the beavers as well.

"I'm sorry." she said, blinking back more tears.

She pushed open the door and walked in. She was in a courtyard filled with stone statues. She wished to herself one of her siblings would come and drag her back home, but she knew she had to do this. She walked further and further, becoming more and more scared. No one had seen her, she had a chance to run, but she kept walking.

"What is your business here, stranger?" someone growled. She looked and saw a wolf staring at her. She felt as though she couldn't move. "Your the daughter of eve aren't you?" the wolf asked. Lucy nodded her head. "Well then, follow me." the wolf said.

She followed the wolf up some stairs and into an unusual room, but she could see a throne. An icy one. "Wait here." the wolf said.

Lucy stood there, and for the next few minutes she had, cried silently and thought to herself _"It's all over, I'm never going to see my siblings again." _But before she could think or cry anymore, the witch appeared.

"Well, isn't this a wonderful sight." the witch mocked. Lucy said nothing, but continued to stare at the ground. "Where are your siblings? I told you to bring them." the witch asked.

"I came here alone... because... your not going to take them." Lucy stuttered.

"Excuse me." the witch said shocked.

"I said I'm not telling you where they are." Lucy replied.

"Oh you won't? Well, we'll just have to fix that." the witch said. Then she called the dwarf that had whipped Lucy. "Take her to the torture chamber. I need to know where her siblings are." the witch said.

"I can tell you." someone said. Lucy turned around and saw a strange green woman.

"Ahh, Arabella, what news have you?" the witch asked.

"Their with the beavers." the girl replied.

The witch nodded. "Maurgrim!" she called.

The wolf that had led Lucy there walked back in. "Yes your majesty." he said bowing low.

"Go to the beaver's dam. Kill everything and everyone you find there." the witch said.

"NO!" Lucy cried. The witch strode over and slapped her.

"Go now, before they have a chance to escape, and Ginnarbrik, why isn't this little brat in the torture chamber yet?" the witch asked. The dwarf nodded and started dragging the kicking and biting Lucy away. And what happened next is to horrible to explain.

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"Hurry mother! Their after us!" Mr. Beaver exclaimed running in the door, Peter, Susan, and Edmund behind him.

"Right then." Mrs. Beaver said starting to scurry around.

"What's she doing?" Peter asked.

"Other than wasting time?" Edmund mumbled.

"You'll thank me later. It's a long journey and Beaver get's pretty cranky when he's hungry." Mrs. Beaver replied.

"I'm cranky now!" Mr. Beaver exclaimed. A few moments later wolves were tearing at the roof.

"What do we do?!" Edmund exclaimed. Suddenly Mr. Beaver opened a little pantry, and started pushing all the children toward it. It turned out to be a little tunnel. When they got to the otherside, Peter and Edmund helped Mr. Beaver block the exit. When they turned around, the sight they saw was unimaginable, little stone statues of animals. Mr. Beaver walked up to one.

"I'm so sorry dear." Mrs. Beaver said, putting a paw on Mr. Beaver's shoulder.

"He was my best mate." Mr. Beaver said.

"What happened here?" Peter asked.

"This is what becomes of people who cross the witch." a fox replied walking up. Peter pushed Susan and Edmund behind him.

"If you take one more step traitor, I'll chew you to splinters!" Mr. Beaver warned.

"Relax, I'm one of the good guys." the fox said.

"Oh yeah, cause you look an aweful lot like one of the bad ones." Mr. Beaver said.

"Unfortunant family resemblance, but we can argue breeding later, right now we have to move." the fox said. Then they heard the sound of wolves.

"What did you have in mind?" Peter asked urgently. The fox smiled and then motioned for the tree.

"Climb, I'll get rid of the wolves." the fox said. The beavers scrambled up the tree. Peter pushed Edmund up, he knew Edmund could get up quicker so he could push Susan up faster, and then helped Susan up, then climbed up himself. They had just gotten settles when the barrier came busting open. They surrounded the fox.

"Evening gent's, lost something have we?" the fox said.

"Stop patronizing me, I know where your alleigance lies. We're looking for some humans." the wolf said.

The fox chuckled. "Humans, here in Narnia. Now that's a valuable bit of information." the fox said. One of the wolf's jumped him, biting into his neck, making the fox yelp. Susan very nearly screamed, but Peter and Edmund put their hands over her mouth, before she could make a sound.

"Now where did they go?" the wolf growled.

The fox paused, and for a moment they thought he would tell them. "They ran north." the fox said.

"Smell them out!" the wolf ordered. The wolf that had been holding the fox down threw him and ran off with the others. The fox collapsed and stayed there.


	7. Chapter 7 Prophecy or Torture

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

The Neverending Winter 

Chapter 7. Prophecy and Torture

"Your leaving?" Susan asked the fox.

"It has been a pleasure my queen and an honor, but Aslan Himself has asked me to gather more troops." the fox replied.

"You've met Aslan?" Mr. Beaver asked.

"What's he like?" Mrs. Beaver asked excitedly.

"Like everything we've ever heard." the fox replied "You'll be glad to have him by your side in the battle against the witch." the fox said glancing between Peter and Edmund.

"But we're not planning on fighting any witch." Susan said.

"But surely your High King Peter, and King Edmund." the fox said.

"King?" Edmund whispered to Susan. Susan shrugged.

"Your apart of the prophecy." the fox said.

Susan looked over at Peter. "You really want Edmund, your baby brother, to go into war?" she asked. Peter threw a rock down.

"We just want our little sister back." Peter said with a shake of his head.

"But Peter..." Edmund said.

"But nothing! We're getting Lucy back, and going home!" Peter said. Edmund looked down, slightly hurt Peter had spoken to him so harshly.

"He didn't mean it that way." Susan whispered rubbing the back of Edmund's hand. Edmund just nodded his head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"She still won't say where their going your majesty." the dwarf said.

"Take her to a regular chamber, make sure she has no food, I want her to die, but slowly." the witch replied.

"Yes your majesty." the dwarf said. He picked up Lucy's collar and began to drag her. Lucy moaned as he did so, feeling every crack. She didn't struggle, because she didn't have the strength to. Then she came to a sudden stop, and after that she heard the chamber door close. There wasn't a single spot she didn't feel pain, at least it seemed that way.

"Lucy?" someone said. She mustered the strength to look up and saw Mr. Tumnus. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"The witch got a hold of me, need I say more?" Lucy asked.

"No, not really." he replied. "Is your brother alright, is he safe, what about your other siblings?" Mr. Tumnus asked quickly.

"I truely don't know." Lucy said starting to cry. The mere thought of her siblings being dead was just to much for her. Would that mean she had done all of this for nothing, when she could have stayed and died with them? But she knew she had to try. Then the chamber doors swung open.

"Well, you will be glad to know that your siblings are alive, for now." the witch said. Lucy let out a deep breath. She knew that, for now, her attempts at keeping them safe, were still going, but how long could she stay alive? The witch picked her up by her throat, which was throbbing from being so dry and a place the whip had hit. "Where did they go?" she asked.

Lucy swallowed. "I will never tell you." Lucy growled.

"Then I will kill you now." the witch said throwing Lucy down and drawing back her wand. Lucy braced for the attack, but it never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw the witch very flustered indeed. "Are you fearless?!" the witch shreiked.

"No." Lucy said "Not even close"

"Then how can you stand the fact that I'm about to kill you?" the witch asked.

"Because I have my siblings in mind." Lucy replied.

"Well, I suppose for your bravery, I shall keep you alive." the witch said "But you, faun, are another story."

"What do you mean by that?" Lucy asked.

"You will see. GUARDS!" the witch cried. An ogre walked in and looked at Lucy, expecting orders to do something to her.

"Release the faun." the witch said. The ogre grunted in reply and broke the chains around Mr. Tumnus's feet. Then the ogre dragged Mr. Tumnus to the witch's feet. "And to think, if you would have left the girl alone, you wouldn't be here now." the witch said "Why did you do it?"

"Because, a human means prophecy, and I believe in a free Narnia. Also, I wasn't about to leave a poor little girl to die in a cold forest." he replied. This just angered the witch.

"Take him upstairs, and ready my sleigh. I must get this _poor little girl_ back to her family." the witch said, leaving the room.

"Oh please let them make it to Aslan safetly, please let them make it to _You_ safetly." she prayed.

The last sentance she didn't truely understand herself, even though she said it.


	8. Chapter 8 Father Christmas

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoress's Note: I know, long time no update. Please forgive me. Anyway, this chapter is a little angsty. Enjoy!**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 8. Father Christmas_

"Come on, walk, WALK!" the dwarf growled. He was pushing Lucy along, and she felt like she wanted to die right then and there, to avoid further abuse. The dwarf pushed open a door and pushed her through. Once in the courtyard, yet again, she saw Mr. Tumnus, but this time he was a statue.

"NO!" she cried running up to the statue that was once her friend.

"Hope you said a nice good-bye to your dear little friend." the witch chuckled "Now get on the sleigh!"

Lucy refused to move, but the dwarf pushed her on and tied her down. And with that settled, the dwarf climbed up on his seat, whipped the reindeer, and they were off.

* * *

"Aslan's camp is just across the frozen river." Mr. Beaver.

"River?" Peter asked.

But Edmund was thinking _"Forget the river part, did he say frozen?" _but kept quiet.

"Oh the river's been frozen solid for over a hundred years." Mrs. Beaver replied.

Peter looked out over the land they had to travel. "It's so far." he said.

"It's the world dear, did you think it would be small?" Mrs. Beaver asked.

Edmund started following them down. Susan caught a glimpse of him, and saw the hurt that was in his eyes. "Smaller." she said, looking at Peter. Then she walked past him to follow her younger brother and the beavers.

A little later they had traveled alot more land than they thought they would. Edmund had started lagging behind.

"Come on humans, while we're still young." Mr. Beaver said.

Peter and Susan stopped for Edmund to catch up.

"If he tells us to hurry one more time, I'm gonna turn him into a big fluffly hat." Peter said. Susan chuckled.

"Hurry up! Come on!" Mr. Beaver called.

"Hmm, you won't be alone." Edmund mumbled. Peter looked at him unexpectedly.

"Look behind you! It's _her_!" Mrs. Beaver exclaimed.

"RUN!" Peter exclaimed after having turned around and saw a sleigh coming toward them. Peter got up to the beavers, leaving Susan and Edmund slightly behind.

"What a wonderful big brother." Edmund mumbled.

"No kidding." Susan said.

"Hurry! Dive! DIVE!" Mr. Beaver urged them into a hole.

When they were settled they heard the sleigh stop. Susan and Edmund were gripping each others hands. A figure stepped up over the hole, and they could see the shaddow. Soon the person stepped away.

"Maybe she's gone." Edmund whispered.

"I guess I'll go look." Peter said.

But Edmund caught his arm and Mr. Beaver put his paws up. "No, your no use to Narnia dead." Mr. Beaver said. Peter looked over at Edmund who was just looking at him.

"But neither are you Beaver." Mrs. Beaver said holding out her paws.

Mr. Beaver took her paws in his. "Thanks sweety." he said.

He stepped out, sniffing the air. They sat there in fearful silence. Then they heard talking, and then Mr. Beaver peaked his head in the hole, making all of them jump. "I hope you've all been good, cause there's someone here to see ya!" Mr. Beaver said excitedly.

Susan and Edmund exchanged a confused glance before following Peter out of the hole. And what they saw they never imagined, Father Christmas.

Being the youngest, Edmund stepped up. "Merry Christmas sir." he said happily. But in his mind, he was thinking just wondering if Father Christmas was here because he had Lucy.

"It certainly is, now that you have arrived." he replied.

"Look, I've been through alot since we first got here, but this..."

"We thought you were the witch." Peter finished.

"Yes, but I must say, I have been driving one of these much longer than the witch" Father Christmas replied "But I dare say you could do with these" he said pulling out a bag. They all knew he meant gifts.

"I would have started with your sister, but since she is not here, who wishes to carry it to her?" Father Christmas asked.

They each looked at Edmund. "Me?" Edmund asked. Peter and Susan nodded their heads. "Alright." Edmund mumbled, stepping forward.

"The juice of the fire flower, one drop can cure any injury." he said handing a round vial, with red liquid in it to Edmund "And I do not mean for her to fight in battle, but to defend herself." he said handing Edmund a dagger "Do you think she'll like it?" Father Christmas asked, eyes twinkling.

"I'm sure she will, I _know _she will." Edmund replied.

"Well, then, it's your turn." he said.

Edmund took the little strap the was off of cordial, attached the dagger to it, and put it around his neck. Father Chritmas pulled out what looked like another vial, and a small sword.

"This, is the juice of the snowflower. One drop cures any poison, or sickness." Father Christmas said.

"You mean Lucy's cordial doesn't do that?" Edmund asked.

"It can only cure injury's." Father Chrismas replied.

"Oh." Edmund said.

Then without a word, Father Christmas handed Edmund a small sword, yet not to small.

"Thank you." Edmund said, admiring the silver lion head at the end.

"And better yet, it will grow as you do." Father Christmas said.

"It will?" Edmund asked.

"And shrink." Father Christmas said.

"Shrink?" Edmund asked.

"You will see." Father Christmas replied. Edmund backed up.

"Susan." Father Christmas said, calling Susan forward "Trust in this bow, and it will not easily miss." Father Christmas said.

"But I've never used a bow." Susan said.

"Though you don't seem to have a problem making yourself heard" a snort came from Peter and Edmund "a blow from this, and help will come." Father Christmas said.

"Thanks." Susan said.

"Peter." Father Christmas said, calling Peter up, Peter stepped forward, as he was told "the time to use these may be at hand." Father Christmas handed him a sword, except bigger than Edmund's, and with a golden lion head, instead of silver, and a sheild.

Peter pulled the sword from it's sheath. "Thank you sir." he said putting it back in it's sheath.

"Now, I must be off. Winter's almost over, and things do pile up when you've been gone a hundred years." Father Christmas chuckled "Long live Aslan!" he said "And Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" the kids and the beavers called after him as he rode off. Edmund had taken his sword out and looking over it.

"Not as heavy as I thought." he mumbled.

"Let me see." Susan said.

Edmund let her feel it, and she was barely able to pick it up. "Either your alot stronger, or it knows I'm not you." Susan said handing it back to him.

He shrugged. Susan pulled out her bow, and strung it. She pulled it back with ease. "I've got to try, just to see." Edmund said.

She handed it to him, and he couldn't pull it back. "It's just the enchantment." they said at the same time.

"He said winter's almost over." Peter said. Susan and Edmund looked over at him. "You know what that means." Peter said.

"No we don't." Edmund said.

"No more ice." Peter said.

"He's right, let's go." Susan said, taking Edmund's arm and following after the beaver's, with Peter not to far behind.

* * *

**I used a reference from another story in here, some of you may recognize... the snowflower. I changed the use though. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I do hope that you'll review!**


	9. Chapter 9 The Frozen River

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 9. The Frozen River_

* * *

When they got to the little hill by the Great River, they saw the river cracking. The ice was melting.

"We have to cross now!" Peter exclaimed, pushing Edmund past him, but Edmund resisted from his pushing.

"I thought beaver's made dam's." Edmund said looking at Mr. Beaver.

"I'm not quit that fast!" Mr. Beaver said.

"Go on!" Peter exclaimed, pushing Edmund again.

"Wait, can't we just think about this for a minute!" Susan exclaimed.

"We don't have a minute!" Peter yelled pointing at the river.

Even if Peter couldn't, Edmund could see those words hurt Susan deeply. "I was just trying to be realistic." Susan said trying to defend herself.

"No! You were trying to be smart, as usual!" Peter yelled, going past Edmund to climb down the hill.

"Come on." Edmund said gently motioning after the beaver's and Peter.

Susan nodded and, after he motioned, went before him, but him very close behind. Peter helped Susan when she got to him, and Edmund jumped from where he was to avoid further confrontation with his brother. Peter went to take a step, but the ice popped.

"Wait, maybe I should go first." Mr. Beaver said.

"Maybe you should." Peter replied.

Mr. Beaver stepped out on the ice and it cracked under him. "You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you?" Mrs. Beaver asked.

"Well, you never know which meals going to be your last." Mr. Beaver replied "Especially with your cooking." he mumbled.

Peter took a step and it continued to crack. Then gradually Susan and Edmund stepped on, trying to balance each other out. Edmund's foot nearly fell through, but Susan caught him. He gave her a thankful smile, but it was returned when she very nearly fell through and he caught her. They hadn't been far when Susan and Edmund looked up to see wolves.

"RUN!" Peter exclaimed.

All of them started running, but it was of no use. Peter pulled out his sword, and pushed Susan and Edmund behind him as one of the wolves tackled Mr. Beaver.

"Put that down boy, someone could get hurt." the wolf said.

"Don't worry about me! Run it through him!" Mr. Beaver yelled.

"This isn't your war, leave now and your sister leaves with you." the wolf said.

"Stop Peter! Maybe we should listen to him!" Susan yelled.

Edmund wasn't sure what to believe. But when the wolf chuckled and said "Smart girl" he knew it would be wrong for Peter to put the sword down.

"Just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword, it doesn't make you a hero! Just drop it!" Susan yelled.

"Shut up! Let me decide for myself!" Peter yelled.

"Well _decide _now. I won't wait forever, and neither will the river." the wolf said.

Edmund knew both the wolf and Peter were taking this to far. Peter with Susan, and the wolf with Peter. But then Edmund heard a loud crack, and when he looked up, water was pouring from a crack.

"Um.. Peter." he warned, tugging at Peter's coat.

"Stop it Ed." Peter hissed.

"Peter." Edmund warned again.

"Stop." Peter hissed again.

"PETER! LOOK UP!" Edmund yelled, finally loosing his temper.

When Peter and Susan looked up, they couldn't blame him for it either. "Hold on to me." Peter said.

Edmund looked up at him confused, but Peter drove his sword into the ice, Edmund knew what he was doing, so clung to him tightly, Susan doing the same on Peter's other side. Then the waterfall cracked, sending water, and glaciers everywhere. One hit Edmund in the head, making his head swim.

As they came up out of the water and started floating down, Edmund fought to keep from blacking out, and started slipping.

"Edmund, hang on." Peter exclaimed, trying to keep his little brother from slipping, not understanding why he wasn't trying to grasp for something. But no matter how hard Peter tried to hang on to Edmund, he kept slipping, and eventually plunged into the icy cold water once again, this time struggling to float up.

Finally his head came up and he grasped for the land not to far away, but couldn't pull himself out.

Peter and Susan had realized he was missing, and when they heard coughing, and saw Edmund grasping to get on land, they were extatic. They ran over to him and helped pull him out. Susan put Edmund's coat around him, as Peter held him steady, for the head wound was still messing with his head.

"You alright there Ed?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine." Edmund replied, partially truthful, because he felt fine otherwise.

Susan held on to Edmund's arm, just to be sure.

"I don't think you'll be needing those coat's anymore." Mrs. Beaver said.

And when they turned to look, they saw, green! And not to much later, they were able to take off their coats.

"I hate this itchy sweater." Edmund said. As the sweater had started drying, since it was on him while drying, it became scratchy.

"Take that part off, you've got another shirt underneath. I took mine off." Susan said.

Edmund did as Susan sugjested and felt relieved. "See, big sister's do know alot of things." Susan said.

"I never said you didn't." Edmund said "That was Peter" he mumbled the rest.

Susan nodded her head, and continued walking.

* * *

"It's so warm out." Ginnarbrik said. The witch looked down at him, angry at what he said. "I'll go check the sleigh." he said, pulling his coat back on. Lucy couldn't turn her eyes from the river though, and she also couldn't stop smiling. She knew they had gotten through, they had made it. In fact, though she didn't tell the witch this, she saw three fur coats, right where the edge of the forest on the other side started.

"Your majesty." someone said coming up.

Lucy's attention turned to the pack of wolves coming toward them, one of them with a wolf in his mouth. "We found this enemy rounding up traitor's at the shuddering woods." one of the wolves said as the other threw the fox, making him land with a yelp.

"Ah, how nice of you to drop in." the witch said.

No matter how badly she was hurt, the only thing she cared about was this poor fox.

"Forgive me, my dear queen." the fox said bowing.

"Oh, don't waste my time with flattery." the witch said.

"Not to seem rude, but I wasn't actually talking to you." he said looking at Lucy.

Before the witch could say or do anything, Lucy limped forward, bent down, and put a hand on the fox's head.

"There's nothing to forgive." she said gently.

The witch pointed her wand at the fox, without telling Lucy to move. "Where are the human's heading now?" the witch asked.

Lucy looked at the fox, who shook his head. The witch pulled her wand back ready to strike.

"NO! PLEASE!" Lucy cried out, standing up.

But the witch just slapped her, sending her to the ground, and turned the fox to stone.

Then the witch walked over to Lucy, and picked her up by her neck.

"You might want to consider trading sides." the witch said.

"Never. Even if I must die, Aslan will prevail." Lucy whispered, unable to speak any louder, thanks to the hand around her neck. The witch dropped her, making pain radiate through her body, once again.

"Then you will die, but not now." the witch said.

A girl, almost identical to the girl that had ratted out Lucy's siblings before, came up with a hop in her step, and an evil gleam in her eyes.

"I know where the humans are heading." the girl said.

"Well, tell my dear willow." the witch said.

"They are going to Aslan's camp! It's by the stone table! He's also got an army there!" the dryad replied.

"An army?" the witch asked.

"Yes your majesty." the dryad replied with a bow.

"Go on ahead." the witch said to the wolves "If it's a war Aslan wants, it's a war He shall get."

"What will you do with the girl?" the dryad asked, giving Lucy a little kick.

"Drag her to where we shall set our camp. Since we can no longer use the sleigh. Unless she can walk, then make her walk." the witch replied walking away. The dryad looked back down at Lucy.

"Can you stand?" she asked.

Lucy tried, and found that, very painfully, she could walk. "Then walk on." the dryad said.

Lucy walked in front, and held back her tears. She promised herself she would no longer cry, and from what she thought, she would never cry again since the witch practically swore to kill her.


	10. Chapter 10 Meeting The Lion

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter _

_Chapter 10. Meeting The Lion_

* * *

"We're almost there!" Mrs. Beaver said excitedly. Susan smiled at Mrs. Beavers excitement.

"Come on Ed, catch up." Peter said teasingly.

Edmund continued lagging, and fumbling with the silver Aslan head, that was on his sword hilt, as flower pettles brushed across his face. He held back a sneeze, as one tickled his nose. He turned around to see to flower people waving at him.

"You might want to catch up." one whispered.

"How far can you travel?" Edmund asked.

"Very far." the other replied.

"Could you find my sister?" Edmund asked.

"We could find her, but we couldn't bring her back." the first one replied.

"Please, check on her, I want to know she's alive." Edmund said.

"As you wish, my King." they replied blowing away in the wind, or was it the wind.

"Lucy would love those people." Edmund mumbled turning back around, to catch up with the others.

He decided not to tell Peter and Susan, in case the dryads couldn't find Lucy, or worse, if they found her hurt. As the started into the camp, creatures of all kind's started staring at them.

"Why are they all staring at us?" Susan asked.

"You don't want to know my guess." Edmund replied.

"Oh, that maybe they're staring at you, and think you look funny." Peter asked with a big grin.

"No... I was thinking that for you." Edmund replied.

Susan chuckled as Peter's face dropped some. When they came to a stop, their focus was on a centaur.

Peter pulled out his sword, and raised it to a salute. "We have come to see Aslan." he said.

Susan and Edmund's heart's lifted at the mention of the name. The centaur looked at a tent, and all the creature's began to kneel. Edmund looked down and saw that the beavers were also bowing.

A few seconds later a lion stepped from the tent, and Peter, Susan, and Edmund found they couldn't speak, so they bowed instead.

"Welcome, Peter and Edmund, Son's of Adam. Welcome Susan, Daughter of Eve. And welcome Beaver's you have my thanks. But where is the fourth?" the lion welcomed, then asked.

"That's why we're here sir." Peter said, standing and sheathing his sword.

"You see, we've had a little trouble along the way." Susan said.

"Our sister's been captured by the White Witch." Peter finished.

"Captured? How could this happen?" Aslan asked.

Finally Edmund decided to speak up. "She saved us, the witch threatened us, so she thought if she went, the witch wouldn't come after us." he said.

"It's my fault really." Peter said. Susan and Edmund looked at him confused. "I was supposed to watch her, and I didn't." he said.

Susan put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "None of us did." Edmund said, before she could.

"Please, is there anything that can be done?" Susan asked.

"It will be hard, but your sister can be saved." Aslan replied.

Everyone, including all the creatures, let out a breath.

"Now, you must be very uncomfortable in those clothes." Aslan said.

"Very much." Edmund said.

"Well then, we'll just have to fix that, won't we." Aslan said smiling.

A few dryads took Susan off somewhere, while Aslan took Peter and Edmund off to find some clothes that would fit them.

* * *

"So, is our little princess uncomfortable?" Ginnarbrik asked, whip in hand.

Lucy did nothing, and she couldn't say anything for the gag. Since Lucy remained stil, to where she was tied, Ginnarbrik cracked her with the whip a few times. But she remained stone faced.

"Brave little one, aren't we?" he asked.

She made no movement, and remained calm. He whipped her a few more times, and still she did nothing, so eventually he gave up.


	11. Chapter 11 Wolves

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 11. Wolves_

* * *

When Peter stepped out of one tent, where he had changed he saw Edmund coming out of another where he had changed. "Comfortable?" Peter asked.

"Very." Edmund said smiling.

"I'm gonna go walk around." Peter said.

"Why? Are you ok?" Edmund asked.

"Yeah, fine. I just want to think for a while." Peter said. He expected Edmund to say something sarcastic, but he just continued to look worried.

"Well, if your sure." Edmund said. Peter looked at him for a while, until Edmund asked "What?"

"How can you do this?" Peter asked.

"Do... what?" Edmund asked confused.

"I've been such a jerk lately, and your worrying about me?" Peter asked.

"Oh, that. It's nothing." Edmund replied.

"Really, cause I just think your incredibly loyal." Peter said.

"Hmmm, tell that to Lucy." Edmund mumbled.

"I know she'd say the same thing." Peter said.

"Then what have these past few years been?" Edmund asked.

"You dealing with bully's, and me not being a good enough brother." Peter replied.

"Don't blame yourself for this Pete." Edmund said.

"Why not? I'm to blame." Peter said.

"No your not." Edmund said.

"Yes I am." Peter said.

"No your not." Edmund said.

"Yes I am." Peter said.

"No your not!" Edmund said, raising his voice slightly.

"Yes I am!" Peter said.

"NO your not!" Edmund said.

"We're doing it again." Peter said.

"Ahh, but we have different reasoning's this time." Edmund said with a smirk.

"That doesn't matter." Peter said trying to hide his smile.

"Yes it does." Edmund said, his smirk growing.

"Stop that!" Peter said exsasperated.

"Yes your highness." Edmund said, with a bow.

"Would you stop!" Peter said.

"Alright, I'll stop now." Edmund said.

"And I'm going to go walking, before you completely drive me insane!" Peter joked.

"Bit of a temper?" Edmund asked.

"AAAAHHH!" Peter exclaimed stomping off, but Edmund knew he was joking.

"Have you..."

"She's at the stream." Aslan said, without looking at Edmund.

"How did..."

"I always know what your thinking, Edmund, never forget that." Aslan interupted him again.

"I won't." Edmund said, left dumbstruck "At the stream. At the stream." he mumbled to himself, before looking around, seeing he had no clue where the stream was.

_"Try the path to your left."_ he heard Aslan say in his head.

"How..."

_"If I can hear your thoughts, is there any reason I can't talk to you in your mind?" _Aslan interupted him again.

"Oh I give up!" Edmund exclaimed taking the path to the left, as Aslan had said. He could hear Aslan's chuckles.

Aslan walked up to Peter, for that was where he was heading. Peter had found a nice spot, to just 'think' as he had told Edmund he wanted to do. It looked out to a beautiful castle.

"That is the castle Cair Paravel of the four thrones. One of which you will sit, Peter, as High King." Aslan said walking up beside Peter "You doubt the prophecy?"

"No, that's just it." Peter replied "Aslan, I'm not who you all think I am."

"Peter Pevensie, formerly of Finchley, Beaver also mentioned you, with the help of your brother, plan on turning him into a hat." Aslan said.

Peter smiled at the last part. He could just picture himself and Edmund ganging up on poor Mr. Beaver.

"Peter, there is a deep magic that rules over Narnia, it defines right from wrong, and governs all of our destiny's, yours, and mine." Aslan said.

"But I couldn't even protect my own family." Peter said.

"You've brought them safetly this far." Aslan said.

"Not all of them." Peter said. "Peter, I will do what I can for your sister, but you must consider what I ask of you. I too want my family safe." Aslan said.

* * *

"Well, don't you look handsome?" Susan said as Edmund walked up.

"And don't you look beautiful?" Edmund asked when he saw Susan "I mean really, in English clothes, if it weren't for the skirt, I'd think you were a boy."

"Thanks Ed." Susan said.

"No problem." he said with a smile. He carefully crossed the little stream to get over to Susan.

"So, are you comfortable now?" Susan asked.

"Yes." Edmund said dryly.

"Do you think Lucy's ok?" Susan asked.

"Why are you asking me?" Edmund asked.

"I don't know." Susan replied with a shrug.

"Well, I think she's going to be fine." Edmund replied.

"Really?" Susan asked, a smile growing on her face.

"Really." Edmund replied.

She went to hug him, and he took it for a moment, before he had had enough of it and asked her to stop. She knew that Edmund had changed, but he wasn't going to change that much.

"So, how cold is the water?" Edmund asked, a smirk growing on his face.

"I don't know." Susan said, as Edmund started slowly bending down, but before he could splash her, Susan splashed him "You tell me." They started splashing back and forth. "Alright that's quit enough!" Susan said, stepping from the creak, and up to grab a towel. When she did a wolf jumped out.

She screamed, and Edmund didn't know what to do. Susan threw the towel at the wolf, grabbed her horn, and blew it. Edmund was stuck where he was in shere shock. But he finally started moving, when he heard Susan scream his name. He had barely enough time to reach for his sword, let alone draw it, before the wolf attacked him, making him hit his head for a second time. He let out a cry of pain, and he became dissoriented.

"EDMUND!" Susan screamed, running over to him. She was able to kick the wolf, and help Edmund up. She pushed him up the tree, and climbed up herself, but was able to get no higher than the second branch. Edmund still felt dizzy, not to mention sick at his stomach, and he also felt like he could pass out at any time.

"GET BACK!" came Peter's cry as he crossed the stream, pulling his sword out. He starred down the wolves. "Ed! Help!" he said. Edmund gave no reply.

"He can't Peter! He hit his head!" Susan cried out. That's when Peter understood why Edmund looked so terribly pale.

"Come on boy, we've already been through this before. We both know you haven't got it in you." the wolf taunted.

"Don't listen to him Peter!" Edmund cried out. But that was all Edmund needed to do to push himself over the edge and throw up. Susan didn't know which brother she should be more worried about. Peter who was already on the ground, or Edmund who could possibly fall to the ground at any second, and who would then be defenseless! But Aslan and the army came up, and Aslan put a paw on one wolf.

"Stop! Slay your weapons, this is Peter's battle." Aslan said. Peter turned his attention back to the wolf.

"You think your a King, but your going to die, LIKE A DOG!" the wolf said lunging at Peter and landing on top of him.

"PETER!" Susan screamed.

"NO!" Edmund yelled.

Susan jumped out of the tree, quit easily, but Edmund had a bit of trouble. Susan was already over to where Peter was laying the wolf on top, when Edmund staggered over. It didn't take much to push the wolf off, and to Susan and Edmund's relief, Peter sat up. He looked between the both of them, as if to make sure they were ok. And then Peter pulled both of them into a tight embrace. Neither of them had any objections.

Aslan let the wolf go. "After him! He will lead you to Lucy." he said. The small part of the army that had followed took off after the wolf.

"Peter, clean your sword." Aslan said.

Peter pulled out his sword and whiped it clean on the grass.

"Kneel." Aslan said. Peter knelt before him, and Aslan put a paw on his shoulder, and then took it off. "Rise, Sir Peter Wolfsbane, Knight of Narnia." Aslan said.

Peter looked over at Susan and Edmund, smiling out of disbelief. Edmund was smiling, but nodded. He knew what it meant, even though he hadn't talked with Aslan, or overheard their ealier conversation.

Peter looked at Aslan, who also nodded His head, and then he resheathed the sword.

And then Peter remembered Edmund's head wound. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Edmund rubbed the back of his head. "Better. Not as queezy, but not 100%" he replied.

"Get some rest." Aslan said.

"But is it smart to do that, when I could possibly have a concussion?" Edmund asked.

"Rest, my son." Aslan said.

Edmund nodded his head, and Peter and Susan walked him back to his and Peter's tent, where he layed down and got some rest as Aslan had said.

* * *

"Kill her Ginnarbrik, she's doing nothing but taking up space." the witch said walking away, and following a minotaur.

The dwarf pulled out a knife and pressed it to Lucy's neck. But before he could do anymore, a sound erupted from the starting of the camp. Ginnarbrik paused as creatures of different kinds rushed up.

One of the fauns grabbed Ginnarbrik, as Orieus began to untie Lucy. She fell forward into his arms as soon as she was unbound.

_"How can anyone do this to someone so young and innocent?" _Orieus thought to himself, blinking back tears.

One of the closest fauns knew it was bad if it was causing a soldier, hardened by battle, to blink back tears. But Lucy was so bloody, and tiny, it was pitiful.

Orieus picked her up. "Let us go!" he ordered, and they ran out of the witch's camp, as quickly as they had come. But not without leaving Ginnarbrik tied to the tree, with his hat tacked up above his head with the very dagger he was going to kill Lucy with.

* * *

When they got back to the camp, it was either really late, or really early.

"Leave her with me." Aslan had said, so they had placed her in His tent with Him. When she started waking, it was to be layed across a comfortable bed, with a very fuzzy, very big, very warm, pillow. But when she looked it wasn't a pillow at all, but a lion instead. She gasped, but realized this must be Aslan.

"Fear not, dear one. Rest. In the morn you will be reunited with your siblings." He said.

So Lucy huddled as close to the lion as possible, buried her head deep into his mane and slept.


	12. Chapter 12 Pieces

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoress's Note: The song used in this chapter is Pieces by Red. **

_The Neverending Winter _

_Chapter 12. Pieces_

* * *

"Morning Ed." Peter said as he saw his little brother waking up.

"Hmm?" Edmund mumbled.

"I said good morning." Peter replied.

"Oh, yeah. Morning." Edmund mumled, sitting up. Then he noticed Peter was still starring at him. "How long have you been watching me?" Edmund asked.

"Since somewhere around 3:00 I suppose." Peter replied.

"PETER! YOU'VE BEEN UP SINCE 3:00!" Edmund exclaimed.

"Calm down. I couldn't sleep anyway." Peter said.

"Alright." Edmund said. But then he became quiet.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked.

"Did you hear anything, that could have meant they had found Lucy?" Edmund asked.

"No." Peter said sadly. Edmund nodded his head. "Come on, they'll find her. Let's go eat breakfast." Peter said in an effort to cheer Edmund up.

"Alright." Edmund said standing up and walking with his brother to the tent door.

When they walked out Susan was walking out of her tent. She gave a small smile and they started walking toward where they had eaten the night before.

"Your majesty's." Orieus said, stopping them.

"Yes Orieus?" Peter asked.

"Aslan wishes to see you in His tent." Orieus replied smiling.

Peter nodded his head and they started toward the tent. But when they did they saw Aslan and Lucy, in Narnian clothes, coming out of it. She had her hand in His mane, walking as close to Him as she could. Aslan looked toward them and looked up at Lucy. Lucy looked confused, but looked in their direction, and she turned pale as she did so.

_**Lucy POV**_

_

* * *

_

I'm here again

_A thousand miles away from you  
__A broken mess  
__Just scattered peices of who I am  
__I tried so hard  
__Thought I could do this on my own  
__I've lost so much along the way_

The only thing I could notice was the look of shock on each of my siblings faces. "They hate me don't they?" I asked Aslan, to where they couldn't hear.

"Quit the opposite, dear one. They've missed you terribly." Aslan replied.

"But, they think I just went to the witch." I said.

"No. Edmund realized what you had done, since you had told him everything, and explained it to the others. They know your reasoning, and that just made them miss you more." Aslan replied.

"You mean, they know why?" I asked.

"Yes." Aslan replied.

"I'm still nervous." I said.

"Go. They understand." Aslan said, giving me a slight nudge.

I started walking forward, Aslan behind me. "Here is your sister, take care of her, and be gentle with her, she's still hurt, in more ways than one." Aslan said walking away. All of them looked at me in what seemed to be concern.

"It's nothing." I said. And each of them could tell I was lying. And I couldn't seem to get her eyes off the ground.

Edmund was the first to step forward. He pulled my head up to where I was looking at him, and could tell I was trying not to cry.

_Then I see your face  
__I know I'm finally yours  
__I find everything  
__I thought I had lost before  
__You call my name  
__I came to you in peices  
__So you can make me whole_

"Oh Lucy." he said quietly before pulling me to him, as carefully as he could. I hugged him around his waist and he probably knew by my trembling shoulders, I was crying. Susan stepped up next and said nothing. Finally Edmund let go of me, and I gripped onto Susan. By now, I was crying even harder.

_I've come undone  
__But you make sense of you I am  
__Like puzzle peices in your eyes_

"Sshh. Sshh." Susan said stroking my hair trying to comfort me. And when we finally seperated, Susan wiped away my tears. I looked over at Peter, who still seemed to be in shock.

"Peter?" I said nervously. Finally he walked forward, and carefully pulled me into his arms. "I'm sorry." I sobbed.

"Your sorry?" Peter asked pulling her back.

"I left you, I know I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry." I said, trying not to cry, but I was failing miserably.

"Lucy, you protected us, when it's not your job, you have nothing to be sorry for." Peter said.

_Then I see your face  
__I know I'm finally yours  
__I find everything  
__I thought I had lost before  
__You call my name  
__I come to you in peices  
__So you can make me whole_

He pulled me to him again, this time though, I wasn't crying.

_I tried so hard  
__So hard  
__I tried so hard_

"Are you hungry?" Susan asked, after Peter let me go.

"Very!" I exclaimed.

"Well, come on then." Susan said. I walked up to Edmund and took his hand.

_Then I see your face  
__I know I'm finally yours  
__I find everything  
__I thought I had lost before  
__You call my name  
__I come to you in peices  
__So you can make me whole_

_**Third Person POV**_

* * *

"Did that witch not feed her?" Peter whispered to Susan.

"It doesn't look that way." Susan replied in a whisper.

"She is never leaving my sight again." Peter whispered through gritted teeth.

"Or mine." Susan said.

"And by the way Edmund's holding onto her hand, he's thinking the same thing." Peter said. Susan nodded her head, glancing up at Edmund.


	13. Chapter 13 Cordial And Dagger

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 13. Cordial and Dagger_

* * *

When they started eating, Lucy was eating like there was no tomorrow.

"Lucy, you know Narnia's not going to run out of toast right?" Edmund asked.

"Haha. Yes I know." Lucy replied after she had swallowed the last three bites she had taken.

"Good, just checking." Edmund said.

"You'll want to pack some up for the journey back." Peter said from where he was propped up against a rock.

"We're going home?" Susan asked.

"You are." Peter replied, walking up, and then sat down. Susan gave him a disbelieving look.

"But they need us." Lucy said "All four of us."

"Lucy it's to dangerous. Edmund nearly drowned and got hit upside the head twice! Susan was nearly eaten by wolves! And you were nearly killed, not to mention tortured." Peter said.

"And that's exactly why we have to stay! Peter, you have no idea what that witch can do, and Narnia's going to need all four of us to defeat her, no matter how bad you want to send us home." Lucy replied.

"Are you sure?" Susan asked.

"I'm sure." Lucy replied.

"Well, I suppose that's it then." Susan said standing up.

"Where are you going?" Peter asked.

Susan picked up her bow and horn. "To get in some practise" she replied "You coming Lu?"

"Can I?" Lucy asked.

"Of course." Susan replied.

Lucy took one more bite of her toast, and followed after Susan.

"When are we going to give her her gifts?" Edmund asked Peter.

"Oh right! LUCY!" Peter said jumping up.

Susan and Lucy turned around, and saw Peter and Edmund walking toward them. "What? Already checking on us, and we're not even out of sight yet." Susan said.

"Lucy, we have something for you, well actually it's not from us." Edmund said.

Susan face lit up. "Oh yes!" she exclaimed.

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"Follow us." Edmund replied, which didn't answer her question. She followed them to Peter and Edmund's tent. "Stay here." Edmund said walking in the tent. He came back out with something in his hand. "On our way here, we ran into Father Christmas and he said to give you this." he said handing her the cordial and dagger.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, starring in awe.

"The cordial, it can heal an injury, at least that's what Father Christmas said. And the dagger, it's to help you protect yourself." Edmund said.

"It's beautiful." Lucy said.

Peter, Susan, and Edmund watched as Lucy fingered the cordial and dagger in amasement. They were just happy to see her happy and smiling. Eventually Lucy took the dagger's belt, strapped the cordial to it, and put it around her waist.

"I love it." she said.

"Good, cause I told Father Christmas you would." Edmund said, making Lucy giggle.

"So are you coming Lu?" Susan asked.

"Yes." Lucy said, following after her older sister, who was already walking away.

"Did you see the way her face lit up?" Peter asked.

Edmund nodded his head. "Let's just hope that smile stay's there." he replied. Peter nodded his head in agreement. "So what do you want to do?" Edmund asked.

"I'm thinking get in some practise of our own." Peter replied.

"Race you to the training feild." Edmund said.

"Alright, I'll count." Peter said.

"Good, I don't trust myself." Edmund joked.

"3...2..." but before Peter said one he took off running.

"HEY!" Edmund shouted after him, starting to run.

"You should have known!" Peter yelled.

"I guess I should have." Edmund said to himself.


	14. Chapter 14 Taken Away

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 14. Taken Away_

* * *

Susan strung her bow and fit an arrow into the string. "That's a long distance." Susan mumbled.

"You can do it Su, especially if it's enchanted, you should have no problem." Lucy said trying to encourage her older sister. Susan looked down and saw the encouraging smile on Lucy's face and couldn't help but smile, until she saw the scar on the side of her face, from where the whip had hit her face. Lucy saw Susan frowning and became concerned. "What is it?" she asked.

"How could anybody do this to you?" Susan asked rubbing her hand gently across the healing scar.

Lucy didn't reply, but looked down, then looked back up. "Come on, it's not going to help dweling on it." she said, before looking back out at the target "Now are you going to practise, or continue mothering me?"

"Alright, I'm going." Susan said pulling the string back to aim. The arrow hit not to far from the red part of the target. Lucy made a tiny gasp, but Susan didn't seem so satisfied. Just to see what would happen, Lucy pulled out her dagger, and threw it at the target, barely even aiming, but instead of missing, it hit the bullseye. It was Susan's turn to gasp. They walked to the target and retreived the dagger and the arrow.

But as soon as they got back to where they were aiming, Peter and Edmund were racing around a bend not to far away. Edmund was on a chestnut horse, and Peter was on a white unicorn, which shocked Lucy.

"Susan! What's that sticking out of the horse's head!" she exclaimed.

"It's a unicorn Lu, what else would it be." Susan replied.

"A unicorn?! I thought those were mythical creatures." Lucy said.

"Look around Lucy, this place is full of them!" Susan said.

But Peter and Edmund hadn't been sparring long before Mr. Beaver came running up. At the sight of him, Susan and Lucy started over to him. They had barely gotten to them when Mr. Beaver said the Witch was coming into camp. Lucy looked up at Susan, the fear was clear in her eyes.

"Don't worry Lu everything's going to be fine." Susan said trying to reassure Lucy everything would be fine.

"Come on, climb on." Peter said, holding his hand out to Susan. Lucy walked over to Edmund and he helped her up behind him. When they got closer, they dismounted and started running toward the start of the camp.

When they got there they saw the witch and her small group. Each of them felt something different.

Lucy felt fear, she was extremely nervous of why the witch could possibly be there.

Edmund felt anger. This was the woman who had tortured his little sister senslessly. He wanted to do something, _anything, _to get revenge, but he knew there wasn't much he could do.

Susan felt like she wanted to take out her bow and shoot the witch dead, right then and there, but she knew it wasn't the right thing to do.

And Peter, he felt slightly fearful, slightly, angry, and slightly like he wanted to take on the witch right there. So he had a bit of everything his younger siblings were feeling. But when she stood up, he shuddered. She was so tall, so evil, no wonder Lucy was so afraid of her. He looked down at Lucy and saw she was clutching Edmund's hand.

The witch walked up and starred at Aslan. "You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan." the witch said.

"Traitor? Who do you consider a traitor?" Aslan asked.

"Well, the girl of course." the witch replied pointing at Lucy.

"And how is she considered a traitor?" Aslan asked, glarring at the witch, as if daring her to say anything.

"She came to me, therefore, she is a traitor." the witch replied.

"You consider her a traitor for saving her family?" Aslan asked.

"Since she came to me, yes." the witch replied.

"My Father wouldn't concider her a traitor, and if my Father doesn't, then she is safe, as is Narnia." Aslan said.

"But you know the risk if she does not die on the Stone Table." the witch said.

"Do not site the Deep Magic to me witch, I was there when it was written." Aslan growled.

"Then you remember well the price of treachery. And you would not want to risk your beautiful country, now would you?" the witch asked.

"What... is... the price?" Lucy asked.

"All of Narnia will be overturned, and perish in fire and water." the witch replied.

Lucy gasped, and knew immediately what she wanted, not wanted, needed, to do.

"You will leave her alone." Aslan growled.

"Would you truely want to risk it?" the witch asked again.

"Aslan." Lucy said, speaking as loud as she could manage.

Aslan looked at her, already knowing what she was going to say. "Are you certain this is what you wish to do?" He asked.

"I am certain." Lucy replied.

"What is she going to do?" Susan asked.

"I'm going with the witch. I don't want Narnia to perish because of me." Lucy replied.

"Lucy! No!" Peter exclaimed.

"Peter, I have to." Lucy said.

"But Lucy..."

"Please, don't make this any harder than it has to be." Lucy said interupting Susan.

"Are you sure?" Edmund asked.

"I'm sure." Lucy replied.

He pulled her into his arms, trying not to cry. "I'm gonna miss you Lucy." he said.

"I'll miss you too." Lucy said, giving him an extra squeeze before letting him go, and moving on to Susan.

"I love you Lucy." Susan sobbed, pulling Lucy to her.

"I love you too Susan." Lucy replied "Be careful in the battle, I know you'll be with the archers, but still." Susan nodded her head, unable to say anything, and let Lucy go.

Peter pulled Lucy to his chest, before she even had a chance to turn around. "Are you positive you want to do this?" he asked, asking the question for the third time, from a third person.

"I'm sure." Lucy replied.

"Come now, unless you wish for me to leave without you, and then there's the risk." the witch said.

"I'm coming." Lucy snapped.

Peter finally let her go, and stepped back beside Edmund. Lucy turned to the Narnians, and tried to force a smile, but it didn't work. One of the creatures on the witch's side tied Lucy's hands so she wouldn't try and escape. And Peter, Susan, and Edmund watched their sister, and their worst enemy dissapear out of sight. But deep down inside, a hope was still there, that somehow, someway, everything would work out in the end, with their sister still alive.


	15. Chapter 15 Stone Table

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 15. Stone Table_

* * *

Peter sat up unable to sleep.

"You can't sleep either huh?" Edmund asked, sitting up as well.

"No. Everytime I close my eyes, I see Lucy being carried away." Peter replied.

"Really? For me it's when I first saw her come by the curtain when we were playing hide and seek, and she was so hurt." Edmund said.

"Wow. Yours is even worse than mine." Peter said.

Suddenly a dark figure walked into their tent. Peter pulled out his sword aiming it at the womanly looking figure.

"Calm down Peter, it's just me." came Susan's voice. As she neared he could finally tell it was her.

He put his sword up. "Sorry." he mumbled.

"It's alright, I should have warned you it was me." Susan replied.

"Couldn't sleep?" Edmund asked.

"No" she replied.

Both of the boys stood up and the three of them huddled together on the ground, yet none of them were cold. They were each quiet, and with each other's comfort, the night didn't seem to drag on as much.

"I can't take this!" Susan finally exclaimed standing up.

"Me neither." Peter sighed.

"I hate waiting." Edmund added.

"And what are we waiting for. Midnight? When we finally know our little sister, our _baby_ sister, is dead?!" Susan exclaimed.

"I don't like it anymore than you do, but saying this is just making it worse!" Peter replied.

"Then why are we just sitting here? Aslan said Himself Lucy wasn't a traitor. Therefore, she's dying for absolutely nothing! There's still time! We can still rescue her!" Susan said.

"She's right!" Peter said, standing up.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Edmund exclaimed, grabbing his cloak, sword, and cordial.

"Why are you taking the cordial?" Susan asked.

"Eh, you never know, poisoned arrow, someone might have put something in our food and it just hasn't effected us yet." Edmund replied with a shrug.

"Has a point." Peter said quickly, strapping his sword around his waist before putting his cloak around his shoulders.

"Let me get my bow, quiver, and horn first." Susan said as they stepped out of the boy's tent.

She ran into her, and what she hoped would soon be shared with Lucy, tent and grabbed her gifts. She strapped the quiver around her, put the horn over her shoulder, and ran back out of the tent. When she got out, two horses were waiting by Peter and Edmund.

"I don't know how to ride." Susan pointed out.

"Persisely why your riding with me." Peter replied.

"Ok." Susan said, still unsure.

Peter helped Edmund mount up on the chestnut horse, before mounting the black one. He stuck out his hand to Susan, who with some struggling, finally managed to mount behind Peter.

"Comfortable?" Peter asked.

"Not really." Susan replied.

"Too bad." Peter said, though not harshly. She heard Edmund snicker.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked giving him a look.

"Nothing." he replied, composing himself.

"Hang on." Peter said, looking back at Susan. She clung on tight, making him loose his breath for a minute. "Not that tight." he wheezed.

"Oh, sorry." Susan said, loosening her grip.

"Mmmhmmm, sure you are." Peter grumbled before giving the horse a kick to start going. Not to long after, the horses started galloping.

"Can't we slow down?" Susan asked.

"No time, we've got to get there." Peter replied.

She looked over at Edmund, who had a look of shere determination, one of which she rarely saw. Eventually they heard the roaring of odd sounding creatures. They dismounted and tied the horses to trees out of sight.

"Be good." Edmund whispered to the chestnut.

"Maybe you should tell yourself that." the horse replied.

Edmund narrowed his eyes at the horse but walked on after his siblings. He softened when he saw the scene in front of him though. Creatures howling, but it was what was on the stone table that made his heart stop. Lucy was tied up, a look of fear and sadness in her eyes.

"We've got to do something." Susan whispered, reaching for her bow.

But before she even touched it, the witch looked at them. "CATCH THEM!" the witch screamed.

"Ed! Run! We'll take care of this!" Peter yelled reaching for his sword.

"Not a chance!" Edmund replied, pulling out his sword as well.

"Ed, don't be an idiot! Get out of here!" Peter exclaimed.

"NO!" Edmund yelled.

"Now is not the time for a fight! Between us anyway." Susan said stringing her bow.

Together the three of them killed at least 7 creatures a piece, that would narrow some down for the battle, but they were still captured.

"I told you to run." Peter hissed at Edmund as the creatures carried them up to the stone table.

"To late now." Edmund replied, catching Lucy's eye.

"Yes... it is!" Peter replied.

"Just shut up Peter! He did what he wanted." Susan yelled.

Edmund could tell Lucy was trying not to cry by now. And he could also tell by the way she was looking at him, she was asking him "Why did you come?". It was here that he had to look down.

"It's so nice of you to come and watch your sister's death." the witch said. Each of them squirmed when she said this. The witch looked up at the sky and smiled. "It... is... TIIIIME!" she yelled.

The witch bent down to Lucy, stroking her back with her icy hand making Lucy squirm all the more. "Your are such a little... idiot. Surely you would have listened to Aslan. I know your not a traitor. But you will die, here and now. That will make your siblings weak, from mourning over your death. And know this, by tomorrow night, they will all be dead, just... like... you, because of you." the witch said.

Lucy held back the sobs that wanted to escape. She looked over at her siblings but quickly shut her eyes, finding she could no longer make eye contact. The witch stood back up.

"In that knowledge..." Edmund turned his head away "...despair..." Susan closed her eyes, only to reopen them a moment later "...and..." Peter could only stare in horror " DIE!" the witch yelled plunging the dagger into Lucy's heart.

Peter's breathing stopped, and Susan wanted to faint. Edmund looked up and wished he hadn't, for as he did so, the witch ripped the dagger out, making Lucy rip her eyes open.

She took a last glance at Edmund, whom by now was crying, yet who could blame him. Then one last look at Susan, who was crying alot harder than Edmund. And then one last look at Peter. She wondered if she was halusinating, or were those tears falling down his cheeks? Peter never cried, nor did Edmund. But then again, they really cared for her, and she was dying in front of their very eyes. She glanced back at each of them, and caught Peter's eye.

"I'm sorry." Lucy breathed out, before closing her eyes, forever.

Peter was absolutely shocked. With her last breath, she said she was sorry. But he didn't have much time to linger on it.

"Bring up the younger boy!" the witch ordered.

The minotaur holding Edmund dragged him forward. And for the moment, Edmund was to shocked to put up a struggle.

"ED! FIGHT!" Peter screamed, unwilling to loose 2 little siblings in one night. Edmund blinked a few times, and looked around. "EDMUND! FIGHT ALREADY!" Peter screamed again.

This gave Edmund the jolt he needed to start kicking, hitting, biting, scratching, anything to get him out of this big creatures grip. Eventually the minotaur dropped him, sending him to the hard ground. He landed on his stomach, which winded him. He rolled on his side gripping his stomach.

"EDMUND! GET UP!" Peter yelled. But Edmund couldn't. He saw the witch walk up to him, and hoped and prayed that she finished him off quickly.

"Leave him. He's weak..." she said giving him a hard kick in the stomach "...he will be easily killed tomorrow." she said walking away.

"What about these two, your majesty?" one of the minotaurs asked, pointing at Peter and Susan.

"Leave them here. I'm sure they wish to say good-bye to their sister." the witch said, smiling evily.

The two minotaurs holding Peter and Susan threw them to the ground, before walking after the witch.

Susan stood up and ran over to Edmund. "Are you ok?" she asked. "Yeah. Just winded. I'll be fine." Edmund replied, eyes still shut tight from the pain.

Susan helped him up, and dusted him off a bit, before turning to Peter, who was still laying on the ground. "Peter, are you ok?" Susan asked.

"Did you hear what she said?" he asked.

"What said who?" Susan asked, confused.

"You mean, 'Who said what'" Edmund breathed out, still not breathing properly. Susan rolled her eyes.

"Lucy, right before she...died." Peter replied.

"No." Susan replied.

Edmund helped him stand up, and supported him when he very nearly fell again.

"She said... 'I'm sorry.'" Peter said.

"Sorry. For what?" Susan asked.

"I don't know. She has nothing to be sorry for." Peter replied.

"You know Lucy, she's always been that way." Edmund said.

"He has a point. Lucy's always been one to blame herself, if she thinks it's her fault, even if it isn't." Susan said.

"I wonder where she get's that from." Edmund said looking up at Peter.

"What?" Peter asked.

"Nothing." Edmund mumbled.

They walked up to the stone table, and climbed up on it. Lucy was on her stomach, so they turned her over.

"Oh Lu, why'd you have to do it?" Susan sobbed.

"That is the way your sister was." Aslan replied walking up.

"What are you doing here?" Peter asked, shocked at Aslan's presence.

"I have come to retreive you and your brother. I will stay with your sister's, but you must go and prepare for battle." Aslan replied.

"But Aslan..."

"Don't argue Peter, we've got to end this. No matter how much we want to stay here with Lucy, we've got to help. And if anything, we can avenge Lucy." Edmund said, interupting Peter.

"You should go Peter." Susan said.

"Alright. But your staying here." he said to Susan "You won't be in battle?" he asked looking at Aslan.

"No, I will stay here, so I will not be in the battle." Aslan replied.

"Don't argue Peter, let's just get this over with." Edmund said, begging Peter with his eyes, telling him he just wanted to get this whole situation over and done with.

"Alright." Peter said giving in immediately.

They stopped to say their last good-byes to Lucy before leaving. Edmund started hiccuping, which was a tell tell sign he was trying not to cry. Peter closed his eyes, put his arm around Edmund, and led him toward the horses.

"We're never going to see her again, are we?" Edmund asked.

Peter sighed. "No, never." he replied.

"What happened?" Phillipe asked, when they showed up.

"We were to late. She's gone." Peter replied, starting his own row of hiccups.

"Phillipe, we're taking you, and leaving Blackstar. Susan needs someway to get back." Edmund said.

Phillipe nodded his head and allowed the two boys to mount, before starting a brisk trot. And as they rode farther and farther away, Peter and Edmund felt as though they would never see Lucy again, but inside of Edmund, deep deep _deep _down, he felt a sliver of hope.


	16. Chapter 16 Back At Camp

**__**

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_The Neverending Winter _

_Chapter 16. Back At Camp_

* * *

As Peter and Edmund re-entered Aslan's camp, they were surrounded by centaurs, fauns, and many other creatures.

"What happened?" Orieus, asked.

"We went to try and rescue Lucy. We know she's not a traitor." Peter replied.

"And what happened?" Orieus asked again, knowing perfectly well why they had left.

Edmund buried his head into Peter's back, trying to hide the fact he was crying. He didn't want all these soldiers to watch him cry.

"We were to late. The witch captured us and..." but Peter stopped unable to continue.

"Where's Queen Susan?" Orieus asked.

Peter cleared his throat. "She's fine. Aslan's with her." he replied.

"When will they be back?" Orieus asked.

"I don't know." Peter replied.

There was a pause.

"Are you going to be ok?" Orieus asked.

Peter nodded his head, unable to answer truthfully.

"And you?" Orieus asked looking back at Edmund, who still had his head buried into Peter's back, which gave him all the answer he needed.

"Ed, we need to dismount now." Peter said, looking back at Edmund. Edmund didn't even look up at him. Peter looked over at Orieus. "Could we have a minute alone?" Peter asked.

Orieus nodded his head and led everyone off to prepare for battle. As soon as they were out of sight, Peter dismounted first, and looked up at Edmund.

"Come on Ed." Peter said as he picked Edmund off the horse and sat down with Edmund in his lap. He could tell Edmund just needed to cry for the moment, and then he'd be fine. But instead of Edmund crying into Peter, they began crying into each other. After a few minutes they stopped, knowing they had to prepare. They could each see determination in the other's eyes, wanting to avenge their sister, and help Narnia at the same time.

* * *

"Aslan, why couldn't you come sooner?" Susan asked, after she had stopped calmed down somewhere around an hour later.

"Everything has it's timing" Aslan replied.

Susan pulled herself around Lucy and started crying harder. This would be the last time she could ever hold her sister again. And eventually she cried herself to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17 Getting Ready

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing! _**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 17. Getting Ready_

* * *

Looking over the map Peter shook his head.

"I can't do this." he finally said.

"Peter, you have to lead us." Edmund said.

"But I can't." Peter said.

"Aslan believes you can" Edmund said, but Peter looked down "And so do I."

Peter looked back up.

"Do you know what Lucy would say if she were here?" Edmund asked.

"Some kind of pep talk, I know that." Peter replied.

"She'd tell you not to give up, that Narnia needs you. Plus she'd probably be bouncing around." Edmund said, laughing at the end.

Peter snorted. "Yeah, most likely. But that was just the way she was." he said. They stopped and stared at the map, thinking of their sister.

"The witch's army is nearing sire, what are your orders?" Orieus asked, snapping them both out of it.

Peter scanned over the map. "Alright, if their planning an attack, they'll have to cross this big field right here, correct?" Peter asked poiting to a spot on the map.

"Yes." Orieus replied.

"Be there as soon as we can get ready, and block off the attack to begin with. Edmund, I want you with the archers, someone has to lead them." Peter said, interupting Edmund as he began to protest. Edmund nodded his head. "Any other ideas?" Peter asked.

"I have an idea for an aireal attack." Edmund said, a little insecurly.

"We don't have bombs here Ed." Peter said.

"No, but we do have rocks." Edmund replied a smile growing.

Peter looked up at Orieus who looked just as confused as Peter felt. "What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"The gryphons, they carry the rocks in, and drop them on the witch's army. That'll nock their numbers down, making them just the slightest bit easier to defeat." Edmund replied.

"That's not a bad idea." Peter said nodding his head.

"In fact it's a wonderful idea." Orieus said.

Edmund looked surprised. A general was giving him compliments. "Thank you." Edmund said blushing.

"I will go and give the orders. That way you can suit up." Orieus said.

Peter nodded and started walking towards the armory, Edmund close behind.

* * *

"Susan, wake up." Aslan whispered, waking Susan instantly. He stood up and got off the Stone Table. "Come." He said.

"But what about Lucy?" Susan asked, gently putting Lucy's limp body back down from where she had been holding her.

"Trust me." Aslan replied.

Susan sighed and climbed off the Stone Table. She looked back at Lucy, and grabbed her hand. "I love you Lucy." she whispered, kissing Lucy on the cheek before turning back to Aslan. She put her hand in his mane, and started walking back to where the other horse was. She heard a loud crack that made her stumble, and turned back around to the sorce of the noise, only to find the table witch a split down the middle... and no Lucy. She ran back up to it. "Aslan! Lucy's gone!" she exclaimed.

Aslan didn't reply. Suddenly she felt someone tickle her on her sides and she screamed turning around.

"Still ticklish, I see." Lucy said, beaming.

"LUCY!" Susan exclaimed, sweeping Lucy off of her feet.

"I'm guessing your happy to see me." Lucy said, laughing.

"You think!" Susan exclaimed, crying tears of joy.

When Susan put Lucy down, Lucy turned to Aslan. "How?" she asked.

"You were not a traitor. Therefore, your death was reversed, since She killed you on the stone table." Aslan replied.

"Oh Peter and Edmund are going to be so happy!" Susan exclaimed.

"Speaking of which, where are they?" Lucy asked excitedly.

Susan's smile immediately vanished. "They've gone to battle." she replied.

"Hurry, climb on my back." Aslan said, bending down.

Lucy climbed on first, then Susan, and as soon as they had a good grip, He took off running faster than they could ever imagine.

* * *

**You people didn't acctually think I could kill Lucy off, did you? ;)**


	18. Chapter 18 Battle Begins

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 18. Battle Begins_

* * *

"Good luck Pete." Edmund said before walking after the archers, but Peter grabbed his wrist, making him turn back around.

"Ed, if I don't make it, take care of Susan." Peter said.

"Your going to make it." Edmund said, feeling his stomach churn, thinking of the possibility that his older brother could actually die in the battle.

"You don't know that. There's always the possibility. Promise me you will." Peter said.

Edmund sighed. "Alright, I promise. But your going to make it." he replied, turning back around.

"And Ed, one more thing." Peter said, making Edmund turn around once more "I love you."

Edmund quickly hugged Peter, before letting him go again. "I love you too." he said before turning around and walking after the archers.

Peter took a deep breath and walked to the frontlines beside Orieus.

"Are you alright?" Orieus asked.

"I will be, once that witch is dead." Peter replied.

Orieus smiled and looked back out, seeing a gryphon in the distance. The gryphon came closer and closer, and landed beside Peter.

"They come, Your Highness, in numbers and weapons far greater than our own." the gryphon said.

"Numbers do not win a battle." Orieus said.

"No... but I bet they help." Peter said.

No sooner had he said that, but a minotaur appeared over a hill. Even from that distance he could realize it as the one that had sustained him the night before and tensed up.

Orieus looked over at him. "Do not be nervous. They can sense it." he said.

"I'm not nervous. That's the one sustained me last night." Peter replied.

"Sustained you?" Orieus asked.

Peter realized he had never fully explained that he, Susan, and Edmund had been forced to watch. "They made us watch, that was the one that sustained me." Peter replied.

Orieus looked back out, now understanding. And he promised himself, that if that minotaur was to die in this battle, it would be by his sword or swords.

Peter pulled out his sword in a salute, and the Narnians gave various battlecry's. On the other side the witch glared at Peter and Edmund, though they couldn't tell.

"I have no interest in prisoners, kill them all. Except the humans Kings, leave that to me." she said.

The minotaur gave a roar type moo, and the witch's side gave their various battlecry's. And with that the witch's side began towards the Narnians.

Edmund pulled out his sword, ready to lead the archers.

Peter gave a motion with his sword, and the gryphon's started their way towards the witch's army, rocks at the ready.

"Look to the skies!" the head minotaur yelled. All the dwarves on the witch's side started shooting upwards at the gryphons, bringing some of them down. When all of the rocks had been dropped, and all of the gryphons had came back to the frontlines, Peter looked over at Orieus.

"Are you with me?" he asked.

"To the death." Orieus replied.

Peter smiled, knowing Orieus would be true to his word. He raised his sword. "For Narnia, and for Queen Lucy!" he cried out, before gassing his horse.

The Narnians followed him, and even though Edmund wasn't down there, his stomach was churning. He was extremely worried for Peter, and wished he could be down there with him, guarding his back. But he knew the archers needed someone to call out orders, and since Susan wasn't there, he had to.

"He'll be fine." one of the female centaurs said, trying to reassure Edmund. When he looked, he saw that she was the wife of Orieus, and she was probably just as worried for her husband, as he was for his brother. And if she could be this brave, so could he.

"Thank you." he said.

She nodded and turned her attention back to the two lines that were very close by now. He took a deep breath and watched the two lines meat, the sound of crashing metal filling the air. As far as he could see, Peter and Orieus were still doing well, meaning they had survived the brunt force of the frontline, though for many, on both sides, weren't so fortunant.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Susan asked as Aslan galloped across the beautiful landscape.

"Hang on." he replied, not answering her question. Soon they came into view of a castle. Lucy tensed when it did. Aslan entered the castles courtyard, and Susan and Lucy climbed off.

"Where are we?" Susan asked, looking around at the statues.

"The witch's castle." Lucy replied, searching around the room.

"What are you looking for?" Susan asked.

But before she finished her question, Lucy took off running, weaving through the statues. Susan followed her but ran into Lucy when she suddenly stopped in front of a statue of a faun. Lucy started crying at the sight of the faun, and Susan put her arm around her. Apparently she knew this faun. Aslan walked up, and breathed on the faun. A few seconds later the grayness started melting away, and he started making noises. Lucy sniffled and stepped up a bit. Soon the entire grayness was gone, and Mr. Tumnus was breathing regularly.

He fell forward and Lucy caught him, staggering a bit. He looked up and smiled. They hugged each other, and when they let each other go, Lucy looked over at Susan.

"Susan this is..."

"Mr. Tumnus!" Susan finished for her, stepping forward and hugging Mr. Tumnus as well. "Thanks you for helping my sister." she said.

"It was my pleasure. I wasn't about to leave a poor innocent little child out to die in a cold forest." he replied and then he looked back at Lucy "How did you get free?"

"When the witch set up camp to plan for battle, the Narnians rescued me. I don't remember much, but Aslan and Orieus said I was at the point of death." Lucy replied.

"Well, I'm not surprised, the way you were when the witch dragged me off." Mr. Tumnus said.

"How bad was she?" Susan asked.

Mr. Tumnus shook his head, unwilling to tell Susan how bad Lucy had been.

"We must search the castle." Aslan finally said "Peter will need all the help he can get."

Lucy and Tumnus looked at each other, knowing where the chambers were. They started toward them, Susan not to far behind. They found many, and as they passed one of them, Lucy shivered, but passed by. Susan looked in and saw a puddle of dried blood.

"Lucy." she said, stopping her sister. Lucy walked back and looked in, but looked away quickly. "Please tell me that isn't yours." Susan begged.

"I'm not a liar." Lucy said shrugging.

"Oh, Lucy!" Susan exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her little sister.

"It's over now Susan." Lucy mumbled.

"But it still happened to you." Susan said.

"Oh well, what's done is done." Lucy said walking away.

Susan looked in the cell once more before walking away. After they had searched the entire castle, and Aslan had turned all the statues into living beings again, they started toward the battle.


	19. Chapter 19 The Battle Continues

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 19. The Battle Continues_

* * *

"Fire!" Edmund called out to the female centaur that had the flaming arrow. She shot it towards the sky, and he watched it explode, as a phoenix swooped through it. Dwarves shot at the bird, but it dodged, and as soon as it was out of the danger zone, it burst into flames, diving to the ground. It made a perfect line between the Narnians and the other half of the witch's army.

"Yes!" Mr. Beaver exclaimed.

Edmund smiled, knowing his brother was out of some of the danger. But the witch blew the fire out with her wand, and led the rest of the army through. Peter looked up to Edmund, who's nerves were at him yet again.

"Fall back! Draw them to the rocks!" Peter called out, leading his horse to where he was calling the rest to go to. A horn was blown, when Peter called out the order.

"That's the signal, come on!" Mr. Beaver told Edmund, but Edmund already knew that Peter was going to do it, by the look in his brother's eyes. The archers set back up, where they were told, and saw the Narnians coming, Orieus and Peter at the back, with the witch's army behind them. Edmund raised his sword, and the archers readied their arrows. He lowered his arm when he saw ready, and the archers released the arrows, sending them to rain down on the witch's army. Not but a minute after that had happened, did Ginnarbrik shoot Peter's horse, sending Peter to the ground. Edmund's heart stopped, and he started breathing quickly, out of fear.

Orieus saw Edmund's reaction and turned around. Seeing his King on the ground did not make him happy, and then he saw the witch not to far away. It was then he realized what was worrying the younger King so. The rhinoserous beside him growled, letting him know he was there to help. Orieus readied himself and they started toward the witch.

"STOP!" Peter yelled as the galloped by.

An ankle slicer get the rhinoserous, and Orieus had to jump over him to avoid running over him. And ahead of the witch he saw the minotaur Peter had said sustained him the night before.

"General Otmin" Orieus muttered under his breath. The two met, and after a struggle, Otmin fell to the ground by Orieus's two swords. He pulled out his other sword, and started toward the witch. He had to take down another minotaur before he could make it to the witch. When he got to the witch, he missed on his first shot at her. And when he tried to make another blow, she turned him to stone. Peter knew he couldn't linger on this, and began following after the Narnians to face the rest of the witch's army. He could see some of the archers making there way down to the battle, now that their bows were useless, and among them he saw Edmund. When he was all the way down Peter made his way over to him.

"Edmund! What do you think your doing?!" Peter exclaimed.

"Fighting!" Edmund replied.

"So your going to put yourself in danger!" Peter exclaimed.

"If that means fighting, yes!" Edmund replied.

"Alright, but don't get out of my sight!" Peter said, turning back to the battle.

They had been fighting quit a while, when Peter realized there was not much hope of Narnia winning. There was no way he could subject his little brother to death, so making his desision, he called out to Edmund "ED! Get out of here! There's to many! Get Susan, and get her home!"

Edmund starred at Peter in disbelief. He was unable to believe his older brother wanted him to leave him to die! But before he could object, Mr. Beaver grabbed his hand.

"You heard him! Let's go!" he said. But when Edmund got to the top of the hill, he looked down. He saw the witch turn another leopard into stone, and then her eyes set on Peter. She started walking toward him, and when Edmund looked over at Peter, he saw Peter already had his hands full. Then Edmund noticed the witch's wand.

_"Destroy the wand, destroy her powers! That's where everyone's making the mistake, their aiming for her, not the wand!" _he thought.

And he knew he was the only one who could do this. He pulled out his sword, but before he moved Mr. Beaver stopped him. "Peter said get out of here!" he said.

"Peter's not king yet!" Edmund retaliated, before running down the hill. He quickly made his way down to the witch, and let out a cry before jumping down aiming for her wand. She pulled it out of the way, and turned to him. She made a movement to stab him, but he turned, turning in a way he could bring his sword down on her wand. Peter heard the crash, and everyone turned to look. When Peter looked, he saw the witch starring at Edmund. With her sword she disarmed him, and she drove her broken wand into his stomach.

Peter screamed his name, but it was drowned out by the gasps of the Narnians, and the roars of laughter from the witch's army. And as Edmund hit the hard ground, Peter cringed, knowing how bad that jolt had to hurt his baby brother, on top of the stab wound. None of the Narnians could feel the mixture of sadness, anger, and determination Peter felt at the moment. Yet, as far as the Narnians could tell, they were down to one queen, and one king.

Peter shook out of anger, and after a moment, finished off the minotaur he was fighting and started making his way toward the witch. The witch disposed of the broken wand, and seeing Peter coming toward her, picked up Edmund's sword. This just infuriated Peter. When he got to her, he made a few futile blows, but the witch was able to get him down, though waited for him to stand up. Before attacking again, Peter spoke up.

"You know your fighting with a sword that has a lion's head, right?" he asked, hoping to throw off the witch.

"It's your brother's sword, therefore, it would be a more painful death for you." the witch replied.

Peter made another attempt, yet still it didn't work. A few moments after they had been fighting a roar pierced the air. The witch and Peter looked up to see Aslan, on the hill. Behind him, came a army, that outnumbered the rest of the witch's army, by three. But what caught Peter's attention was the young girl beside Susan. He smiled when he recognized her as Lucy.

And from where Edmund was laying on the ground, he saw Lucy as well. He smiled even though it was becoming harder and harder to breath.

While Peter was starring up at the hill, the witch tried to make a blow. Luckily it was blocked by his armor, and the fight raged on. Aslan began making his way down, the rest of the army behind him. Lucy pushed her way through with her dagger, and Susan with her bow. The witch tripped Peter, driving her sword into Peter's arm. He blocked the first attempt at hitting him, but it nocked his shield off his arm, and he could only wait for the finishing blow. Yet, it never came. He watched as Aslan flew over him, nocking the witch to the ground.

Aslan paused, starring into the witch's eyes, as if to say "This is for the 100 years you put my country under turmoil" before finishing her off. Peter pulled the sword out of his arm, and stood up, and when he did, the world seemed to speed by.

"This is finished." Aslan said. Peter starred at him, overwhelmed by the fact that this was all over.

"Peter!" he heard Lucy call out. He turned around, and wrapped his arms around her as she hit him, full force.

But Susan was looking around. "Where's Edmund?" she finally asked.

Peter looked in the direction Edmund had been stabbed, and Susan let out a breath as she caught sight of her little brother. Lucy was still searching the battlefield, as Peter and Susan started running, so she just followed their direction.

Then she saw him on the ground, breathing hard. "Edmund!" she screamed as a dwarf was walking toward him, an axe in hand. But before the dwarf could make it to him, Susan shot the dwarf, and she ran forward. Lucy pulled out her cordial as she started forward after Susan. Susan pulled off Edmund's helmet, in hopes of it helping him to breath easier. Lucy poured a drop of the cordial into his mouth.

They watched as he stopped breathing, and their hopes fell. But he gave a cough, and opened his eyes. He looked up at Lucy first, as if in astonishment. Before Edmund could say, or do, anything Peter pulled him up and into his arms. When he let Edmund go, he gave him a shake.

"When are you going to learn to do as your told?" he asked.

Edmund looked down and gave a slight shake of his head.

Lucy gave a tug at his sleeve, making him look over at her.

"Lucy." he sighed before they gripped onto each other. He let her go and looked her in the eyes. "I don't know how, but, however your here right now, I'm glad you are." he said, before she attacked him again, but this time, Susan and Peter joined in as well.

Aslan walked up, and breathed on one of the satyrs. Lucy picked up her cordial and the next hour or so was spent healing, and de-stoning the Narnians.


	20. Chapter 20 Coronation

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 20. Coronation_

* * *

"Peter, what do you think?" Susan asked walking up, spinning in her coronation gown.

"You look beautiful." Peter replied with a smile. He hadn't seen Susan this happy, in he didn't know how long. Truthfully, he couldn't remember the last time he had been this happy. Of course they had alot to be happy about. Their baby brother and sister were alive and safe, and they were about to be crowned Kings and Queens of a magical world.

"Your looking quit handsome yourself." Susan said. Edmund walked in next. "And so do you." Susan said.

"What?" he asked, not hearing what she said about Peter.

"Nevermind." Susan replied.

Lucy came bounding up a moment later, and the older three couldn't help but smile. "What are you guys smiling at?" Lucy asked, noticing each of them smiling at her.

"Nothing." Susan replied.

"Yeah, absolutely nothing." Edmund replied.

The dryads that had the cloaks, walked up. They helped the four siblings to put them on, and then Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy lined up at the door beside Aslan. They each took a deep breath, and started through the doors as the horns were blown. The Narnians watched as their soon to be Kings and Queens walked by. When they got to the steps that led up to the thrones, they paused. But they began back up and were extremely happy to know that the thrones weren't very far apart from each other.

"To the glistening Eastern Sea, I give you, Queen Lucy, The Valiant." Aslan said as Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers walked up. Mr. Tumnus picked up the smaller silver crown, and walked up to Lucy. She bent down and he placed it on her head. She looked back up and he paused for a moment before bowing and going back to the Beavers.

"To the great Western Wood, I give you King Edmund, The Just." Aslan said as Mr. Tumnus placed the larger silver crown on Edmund's head. Mr. Tumnus smiled and bowed before going back to the beavers again.

"To the radiant Southern Sun, I give you Queen Susan, The Gentle." Aslan said, as Mr. Tumnus placed the smaller golden crown on Susan's head. Mr. Tumnus did the same he had done with Edmund and Lucy and went back to the beavers.

"And to the clear Northern Sky, I give you King Peter, The Magnificent." Aslan said, as Mr. Tumnus put the larger golden crown on Peter's head.

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy sat down on the throne's.

"Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a King or Queen. May your wisdom grace us until the star's reign down from the heaven's." Aslan said, turning to the now crowned Kings and Queens.

"Long Live King Peter! Long Live King Edmund! Long Live Queen Susan! Long Live Queen Lucy!" rang the calls of the Narnians. The siblings exchanged glances as cheers rang throughout the room. Eventually the cheers died down, and the ball began.

Lucy was having trouble taking off her cloak, so Susan had to help her, and they noticed Peter and Edmund were watching them.

"What?" Susan finally asked.

"Nothing." they replied.

"Riiiight." Lucy mumbled.

"We really are lucky." they heard Peter whisper.

"No doubt." they heard Edmund reply.

But they shook their heads and began to enjoy the ball. When Lucy found a moment, she slipped out into the night air on one of the banisters. She looked out at the sea, the place Aslan had given her, to call her own.

"Are you alright?" she heard Edmund ask.

She turned around and smiled. "Yes, just looking." she replied.

"If you say so." Edmund said, walking up "It fits you, you know."

"What?" Lucy asked.

"Your to the sea, the sea's beautiful, do you not understand?" Edmund asked.

"Oh Edmund." Lucy said, hugging him around his middle.

He chuckled and put his arm around her. "I can't believe we did it." he said with a sigh.

"Believe it. It's over." Lucy said, sighing as well.

"What I can't believe is, how much suffering you went through, and you can act like nothing happened." Edmund said.

"Believe me, it isn't easy." Lucy replied.

They both fell silent.

"Why'd you do it?" Edmund asked.

"I thought you knew it was so Narnia wouldn't be overturned" Lucy said, slightly confused.

"Not that. Going to the witch." Edmund said.

"Oh. That. Well, I thought if I went, maybe the witch would kill me, and leave you Peter and Susan alone." Lucy replied.

"Lucy, it's our job to protect you, not the other way around." Edmund said "And the sooner you learn that, the better." he said, tapping her on the nose.

She leaned further into him, and he pulled his arm tighter around her. "I promise, I'm going to be a better brother to you." Edmund said. Lucy looked up at him, shocked. "I promise." he said again, looking down at her. Tears came to Lucy's eyes and she buried her head into his chest.

But inside the ballroom, a worried older sister was looking around for her younger siblings. Peter passed by Susan, a plate of food in his hand.

"Peter!" Susan scolded.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes. "Have you seen Edmund or Lucy?" she asked.

"Edmund's right over... ok, he's not there anymore, so no I haven't." Peter replied.

"Thanks your alot of help." Susan said.

"Alright, don't panic, I'll go left you go right." Peter said putting his plate down, and started going in the wrong direction. He stopped and turned back around, walking back to the smirking Susan. "Not a word." he mumbled walking past her.

"And they made you High King? They should have given Edmund the job, at least he knows left from right!" Susan said.

"I said not a word." Peter growled.

"Alright." Susan said, going in the way she was to go.

Eventually she caught a glimpse of something out on the balcony's and turned to look. She had to smile when she did, for she saw Edmund with his arm around Lucy, starring out at the ocean, but her heart broke, when she saw Lucy was crying. _"A child having to comfort a child, over things noone should have to face." _Susan thought.

"Did you find...."

"Ssshhh." Susan said interupting Peter.

He looked out and he seemed to choke for a moment. "Is Lucy crying?" he asked.

Susan nodded her head. She pulled him aside, making sure no one could hear them. "When Aslan took us to the witch's castle, to retrieve the rest of the Narnians, we had to go to the chambers." Susan started.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Peter asked.

"What was in one of the chambers." Susan replied.

"What?" Peter asked.

"Do not tell this to Edmund, ever, this is between us, ok." Susan said.

"Ok." Peter replied.

"Lucy wouldn't explain to me, but I do know the chamber she was in, there was a _puddle _of dried blood." Susan said.

"A puddle?" Peter asked, going pale.

"A puddle. A puddle of our little sisters blood." Susan replied.

Now Peter looked like he absolutely wanted to faint. "As if it wasn't enough to watch Edmund die, now I'm finding out that my little sister bled continuously for Aslan knows how long!" he said.

"I'm sorry, but you needed to know." Susan said.

"No, don't blame yourself. I did. But your right, Edmund can never find out, unless Lucy decides to tell her himself." Peter replied.

"I don't think he'd be able to handle it." Susan said.

"He wouldn't." Peter said "He's strong, but that... that's just to much."

Susan nodded her head and looked out on the balcony. Edmund was pulling Lucy back inside. Susan walked up, but Peter leaned up against the wall, wishing he hadn't eaten.

"Peter, are you alright?" Edmund asked.

Peter flinched and nodded his head.

"Make us believe it." Lucy said.

"I'm fine, ate to much I suppose." Peter replied.

"Are you going to be ok, maybe you should sit down." Lucy said.

"That's not a bad idea." Peter muttered, walking off and gripping his stomach, feeling absolutely sick at his stomach by now.

Susan watched Peter walk off, before turning back to Edmund and Lucy. "You alright Lu?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lucy replied. Susan nodded her head, and they went back to celebrating. Soon Lucy saw the sun coming up. Edmund was beside her, and she could tell her was trying to stay awake.

"Ed, did we stay up all night?!" she asked.

"Yep." he mumbled "And I do not understand how you can be so perky."

"Maybe I'm over tired!" Lucy piped up.

"Yeah well the over tired is going to drive the insanely tired mad if the over tired doesn't stop being so bubbly!" Edmund mumbled.

"Huh?" Lucy asked, thoroughly confused.

"Nevermind." he said.

"Sleepy?" Peter asked walking up. He was carrying Susan, who was out cold.

Edmund snorted. "When did she conk out." he asked.

"Not but a minute ago." Peter replied.

A glint of light caught Lucy's eye, out over one of the balcony's. She started running toward it, and stopped at the ledge, only to see Aslan walking on the beach. She knew he was leaving, and her heart fell.

"Don't worry." she heard a voice from behind her. She turned around to see Mr. Tumnus, and smiled. "We'll see Him again." he said.

"When?" Lucy asked.

"In time. One day He'll be here, the next He won't." Mr. Tumnus said walking up "But you musn't press Him. After all, He's not a tame lion."

"No, but He is good." Lucy said.

Mr. Tumnus reach under his scarf and pulled out a hankerchief. "You need it more than I do." he said.

Lucy carefully took the hankerchief in one hand. Mr. Tumnus gave her free hand a little squeeze, and Lucy looked back out at the beach, only to see Aslan completely gone. She quickly glanced up at Mr. Tumnus, who said nothing, but let out a breath, trying not to cry himself. Lucy could feel her own tears, and looked out over the ocean.

"Hey Lu! Come see this!" Edmund called, laughing hysterically.

Lucy swiped at the tears before turning around, looking at what Edmund was pointing at. What she saw was a bunch of Narnian's huddled around in a circle, starring in diebelief. Lucy and Edmund broke through the crowd, and what Lucy saw made her start laughing as well.

Apparently Peter had become overwhelmingly tired, and since he was carrying Susan, he was laying partially over her, both of them sleeping peacefully, unaware of the crowd, and their two laughing siblings.

"Come on, let's wake these two up, so they can actually get into bed." Edmund said.

"I have an idea!" Lucy exclaimed.

"What's that?" Edmund asked.

"One of thier worst fears is us getting hurt, so if we scream, they'll think we're in trouble, and maybe that'll wake them up!" Lucy replied.

"Hmmm, wake them up, and scare the living daylights out of them... I like it!" Edmund said.

So they clarified with all the Narnians what they were about to do, and not to freak out, and they screamed as close to Peter and Susan's ears as they could manage. Both of them jumped up, as if ready to take on an entire army, by themselves, but when Edmund and Lucy burst into laughter, they didn't want to potect their siblings, but murder them.

"What did you do that for?!" Peter yelled.

"We couldn't think of any other way to wake you up, and you needed to get into a bed, not lay on the floor." Edmund replied, since Lucy was still laughing to hard.

"And yet your laughing." Susan said.

"I never said we wouldn't enjoy it." Edmund replied.

"Oh, just go to bed!" Peter exlclaimed.

"Sir, yes, sir." Edmund said saluting Peter.

He laced arms with Lucy. "Left... left... left right left." he said over and over again as they marched out of the room, and into the hall.

"See, I told you he knows left and rights." Susan whispered to Peter.

"Alright, that's it, go to bed." Peter said poiting.

"I'm just saying!" Susan said, defending herself.

"Bed! Now!" Peter said.

Susan grumbled to herself, as she stomped out of the room.

Peter walked out after her, leaving the Narnians to ponder their new Kings and Queens.

And the thought on each of the Narnian's minds was _"This should be interesting."_


	21. Chapter 21 Holding Court

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 21. Holding Court_

* * *

"Do we _have _to hold court _today_?" Susan asked.

"Yes, and besides, the sooner we do it, the sooner it will be over with." Edmund replied.

Lucy walked down the stairs, ready for the meeting she new was to come. "Good morning." she said brightly.

"Morning." Edmund replied.

"Morning Lucy, I trust you slept well." Susan replied.

"More or less." Lucy replied.

Susan and Edmund exchanged a glance. 'More or less' is what Lucy said when she had a dream of being with the witch. Edmund nodded his head, and Susan made a face.

"Good morning all!" Peter greated brightly.

"Someone woke up on the right side of the bed." Lucy said.

Peter gave her a quick hug, and he swung her up on his back, making her laugh. "Did I miss something?" Peter asked when he saw the looks on Edmund and Susan's faces.

"More or less." Edmund replied, giving him a look, telling Peter everything he needed to know.

"Oh." Peter said, his face showing his sadness.

"See, this is why I never tell anybody." Lucy said.

"But Lucy. If you keep it bottled up, eventually it will drive you mad." Susan said.

"Well then, it will drive me mad!" Lucy replied.

Peter put her down, and made her look up at him. "What was it about?" he asked.

"It was nothing." Lucy replied.

"Lucy Rosa Pevensie, that's not the right answer and you know it." Peter said.

"My time with the witch, that's all there is to say." Lucy replied.

"But what _happened_?" Peter asked.

Lucy broke away from Peter and backed up. "Now that, you will never know." she replied before running from the room.

"I guess that means she won't be joining us for breakfast." Edmund said.

"Not today." Susan replied.

Susan and Edmund started toward the breakfast hall, but Peter starred down the hall Lucy had went down. He sighed and started after Susan and Edmund.

* * *

"Where's Lucy, she's going to be late for the court!" Susan said.

"I haven't seen her since before breakfast. I'd see leave her alone though, she was pretty upset." Peter replied.

"Yeah, we can handle it." Edmund said.

"Sorry I'm late." Lucy said running up.

"We could have held it without you." Edmund said.

"No, they need all four of us. And I'm sorry for earlier. I was just so...."

"Lucy, stop. It's ok. We understand." Peter said interupting Lucy.

"And you shouldn't cry about it either." Edmund said putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I wasn't crying." Lucy said quickly.

"Lucy... please. We can tell." Edmund said, tracing the tear streaks down his little sister's face with his thumb.

"Your majesties?" a faun asked walking up "Should I announce your ready?" the faun asked.

Peter looked over at Lucy, who nodded her head. "Yes, we're ready now." Peter replied.

They walked through the doors and sat in the thrones that were waiting for them.

"We apologize for being late." Peter said, taking care of that first. Two black dwarves stepped up first. "Good morning." Peter greeted.

"Good morning." the dwarves grumbled.

Lucy and Susan had to stiffle chuckles, and Edmund contained the smile that threatened to break through. Peter cleared his throat, hiding his own laughter. The four of them knew black dwarves were always grumpy, but especially grumpy in the morning.

"What might your problem be?" Peter asked after clearing his throat a second time.

The dwarf on the right spoke up first. "He betrayed me. He turned my family into the witch years ago, and my family and I have but a day ago finished rebuilding our lives. But we are still without something we started with." the first dwarf said.

"And what would that be?" Peter asked.

The dwarf took a deep breath. "My youngest daughter." he said.

Susan and Lucy gasped. Peter, Susan, and Edmund felt as though they could relate. "I am terribly sorry for your loss." Peter said.

The dwarf gave a slight bow of his head. "Thank you. I'm sure you know how I feel." he said.

Lucy's breathing caught.

"We do." Peter said, and Susan and Edmund nodded their agreement.

The dwarf looked up at Lucy, and she could have swore he smiled, if only for a moment.

"So, this dwarf, betrayed you, and because of that, you lost your youngest daughter, correct?" Peter repeated, making sure he got the story straight.

"Yes, your majesty." the dwarf replied.

"Well, what's your side of the story." Peter said looking at the other dwarf.

"I deny nothing." the other dwarf replied.

"Well then, there's only one thing left to do, decide your punishment." Peter said "What do you think Edmund?"

Edmund considered this. "Did you have a reasoning?" he asked the dwarf.

"My own family. She threatened them. She said if I didn't tell her what she wanted, she would kill my entire family, so I did, and she kept her word." the dwarf replied.

"But it was because of you, that another life was lost. Not to mention a life that still had a long time to live." Edmund said.

"It kept my family alive." the dwarf replied.

"Yet not for another." Edmund said, narrowing his eyes at the dwaf.

The dwarf silenced, seeing he was upseting the young king.

"What punishment would befit this traitor?" Peter asked, trying to be as harsh with his words as possible. Lucy grimaced.

"Death is a bit... over the top, even if a life was lost. How long were you and your family in the capture of the witch?" Edmund asked looking at the dwarf that had spoken first.

"5 years. We were freed when you and your siblings defeated the witch." the dwarf replied, bowing his head again.

"Then, I say 10 years in prison. That seems to fit." Edmund said.

Peter nodded his head. "Susan, what do you think?" he asked.

"I agree with Edmund." Susan replied.

"Lucy?" Peter asked.

Lucy made a face. "I don..."

"You asking her!" the dwarf traitor asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Peter asked.

"I don't think she has a right to judge me! If I'm considered a traitor, then she shouldn't!" the dwarf replied, raising his voice.

"And what makes you say so?" Edmund asked.

"For she's a traitor herself!" the dwarf exlaimed.

Lucy closed her eyes. It hurt to think some of the Narnians thought of her that way. Gasps filled the room, from the dwarf's words, and Peter and Edmund jumped up.

"Who are you to call her a traitor?!" Peter yelled.

"Well, because she is. She went to the witch, therfore she is a traitor." the dwarf replied.

"She went to the witch for her family! She risked herself, for them! She betrayed no one!" the other dwarf said, defending his queen.

"Thank you, kind dwarf, it's nice to of you... to s..say that on... m...my be...half." Lucy said her voice going hoarse. She ran from the room, the instant she finished the sentance.

"As if it wasn't enough for her to be tortured." Edmund said shaking his head "You two go, I'll stay here."

Peter nodded. "Are you sure you can handle it yourself?" he asked.

"I've done it before, and Lucy needs you more right now, just go." Edmund replied.

Peter and Susan nodded, standing and going after Lucy. Edmund turned his attention back to the two dwarf's in front of him. He sat back down and tapped his fingers on the arm rest of his throne, glarring at the dwarf who had accused Lucy of being a traitor. "Now where were we, oh yes, punishment..." Edmund said, a smirk growing on his face.

* * *

Lucy ran through the doors, desperate to get away. She could hear Peter calling her name, but she ignored him, and kept running. Across the beach was a forest, dense and inviting. She and Edmund had ventured into it one day, and found it was alot less scary then it originally appeared. And at this moment, it seemed like the perfect getaway. She ran towards it, toning out the fact that Peter was following, and determined to loose him once in the forest. She dove into the forest, ignoring the small branches and twigs that were snapping across her face, neck, and arms. She could hear Peter was still close behind her, but ignored him still. She could hear him gaining ground, and coming up quickly behind her. By now she was crying hysterically, and didn't want him to know. All she wanted was to get away, but he obviously wasn't going to let that happen. As soon as he got close enough, he grabbed her arm, and as gently as he could, pulled her to a stop.

"Let me go, Peter!" she begged, still struggling to get away from him.

He pulled her to where he was looking into her eyes. "Lucy, don't do this." he said. She was still crying, which made Peter's heart break. He hated seeing Lucy cry. He hated seeing any of his siblings cry, but especially Lucy, and especially on a subject such as this. He pulled her into his arms and she buried her head into his chest, still crying. He rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. "Sshh, sshh, it's alright. It's ok." he said gently.

She looked up at him. "Am I really a traitor?" she asked.

"Of course not. The dwarf is a bas... nothing I need to say out loud." he corrected himself, making Lucy giggle. He smiled. "He was decieved, he worked for the witch. Of course he's going to call you that." he said. She looked down. "And if he's apart of what's left of the witch's people, then does his opinion truely matter?" he asked.

"No." she said in a whisper.

He smiled. "Come on, Susan's probably worried." he said gently, helping her to stand.

"Thanks Peter." she said hugging him tight.

He hugged her back tightly. "Anytime Lu." he replied kissing the top of her head.

* * *

When they got back to Cair, Edmund was starring daggers a cup of tea.

"What happened?" Peter asked sitting beside him.

"That basta... dwarf got away!" Edmund exclaimed, chaning the word he was going to use when Susan gave him a warning glance.

"A basta-dwarf, that fit's." Lucy said.

"LUCY!" Susan scolded.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Well it does." she mumbled.

"I don't care!" Susan said.

"Give her a break Su." Peter said sternly.

Edmund looked over at Lucy. "Are you ok?" he asked. She nodded her head.

"So what do you have in mind?" Peter asked Edmund.

"I'm thinking..." Edmund replied, glarring at the wall "... we're going on a man hunt."


	22. Chapter 22 Dagger First

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoress's Note: I'd like to warn you guy's, this chapter get's a little creepy at one point. But what can I say, I was watching a horror movie while writing this... bad idea. It also get's pretty sad, but not overly so. Enjoy and please review!**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 22. Dagger First_

* * *

"I'm going to go walk around the castle." Lucy said.

"Why?" Susan asked.

"I just want to be alone." Lucy replied.

"Oh, but Lu."

"It's fine. I just want to think." Lucy interupted Peter.

"Alright, but I want you in bed by midnight. I don't truely care which bed, but one of them." Peter said.

"Are you saying I can sleep with one of you tonight?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Yes. It was a long day." Peter replied.

"Oh thank you Peter!" Lucy cried, lunging at him.

He laughed as her full body weight hit him. "Your welcome." he replied.

"So which one, I'd like a warning if it's me." Edmund said, teasingly.

"It might be, if you keep doing that." Lucy replied.

"I'll shut up then." he said the smirk still on his face.

"Even if I don't choose you, your going to get a rude awakening in the morning." Lucy said.

"Hmph." Edmund grumbled, knowing that usually meant water bucket.

"I'm going to leave before a war starts." Lucy said, walking out of the room.

She walked to her room and grabbed her cloak, not yet knowing if she was going outside or not. She shrugged off the eery feeling she felt and started walking.

"May I help you your majesty?" one of the dryads asked, startling Lucy.

"Oh, no. No thank you." Lucy said quickly, recogizing the dryad as Cloe.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Cloe said bowing.

"It's quit alright. My nerves are just after me today." Lucy replied.

"Maybe you should get some rest." Cloe said.

"I may head out to get some fresh air." Lucy said.

"Oh yes, the sea air will do you some good. Don't need you getting sick, or going delirious on us." Cloe said patting Lucy on the shoulder.

"Thank you Cloe." Lucy said, walking away.

As soon as she started she felt that feeling again, but shrugged it off. "Oh I wish I had my dagger." Lucy whispered to herself "Yes, that's it. I'll go get my dagger first." she whispered, turning around, going back to her room. She was going to bring the dagger only, but something inside her told her to bring the cordial as well. She strapped it around her waist and started toward the corridor that led out to the ocean.

She was nearly there, when something pushed her in one of the rooms. When she looked she saw the dwarf that had called her a traitor. "What are you doing?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Giving my queen a second chance." the dwarf replied.

"What?" Lucy whispered.

"Come into me my queen! I welcome you!" the dwarf cried.

And Lucy watched in horror as the 4 foot high dwarf grew into a 10 foot tall woman, whom Lucy regretably recognized.

"Hello again my dear." the witch said. Lucy laid on the ground, in sheer horror. "Aren't you going to fight?" the witch asked. The witch grabbed Lucy by her throat, so she could meet her eye level. "You still won't answer me." the witch growled. The witch threw Lucy back to the ground. "Well, you have grown well. A beautiful young woman. How old are you now?" the witch asked. Lucy didn't respond. "Why am I asking, I know your 14. And I believe that's the age your sister was when you first came to Narnia, is it not?" the witch asked. Once again Lucy didn't respond. "I have not come to take Narnia back, but I have come to take it's greatest treasure." the witch said.

"I am not Narnia's greatest treasure." Lucy said.

"You may not realize it, but you are. If I take you away, Narnia will suffer, as will your siblings." the witch said.

"I can't be Narnia's greatest treasure. That's Aslan. Then there's my siblings. I can't be." Lucy said.

"Alright, fine, not counting Aslan you are. But you out of your siblings risked your life for Narnia's sake. Therefore you are Narnia's greatest treasure." the witch said, pulling out a dagger, from where is not known, and made a slash across Lucy's right arm, before putting it back, from where it had come from.

"But... I don't understand." Lucy said, making the words out with difficulty.

"Still as idiotic as you were. Now comes your death. But I promise, I shall make it swift." the witch said. Lucy crawled backwards as the witch started toward her.

"Get away from her!" someone yelled from behind the witch. Lucy looked past the witch and saw Edmund standing there, sword at ready.

"You little fool, what are you thinking, that you can defeat me?" the witch asked.

"Nothing but to try." Edmund replied, glarring at the witch.

"You'll risk your life for that." the witch said pointing at Lucy.

"Of course. Like you said, she's Narnia's greatest treasure, and I can't let that slip away." Edmund replied.

"Fine, if you wish to fight me, you shall." the witch said, pulling a sword out from somewhere, but from where was a mystery, and attacked Edmund, but he was ready. But sadly, the witch got in a good shot, and made a slash just as long as Lucy's down his left arm.

"Edmund!" Lucy screamed, terrified it was worse than it actually was. But Edmund gritted his teeth, and continued fighting.

"Strong. Very strong. I'm impressed. You've grown as well." the witch said.

The fight continued for a long time, but when it ended, it was by Edmund getting a slash across the witch's stomach. "Very strong indeed." the witch said, an evil smile spreading across her face. In an instant the sword turned to a dagger. "Let's just hope your sister's as strong." the witch said throwing the dagger towards Lucy, striking her in the chest. Edmund brought down a finishing blow on the witch. The witch gave a cackle, and turned into a dwarf once more, except the dwarf was dead.

Edmund rushed over to Lucy. "This is going to hurt." he said, reaching for the dagger, that was still in Lucy's chest.

"Just get it over with." Lucy whispered, unable to speak any louder.

Edmund took a deep breath and pulled the dagger out of his little sister's chest, making her face twist in pain. He reached for the cordial, and poured a drop in Lucy's mouth. His heart fell as she stopped breathing.

"You should have never went walking." he whispered. But his heart lifted again as Lucy took a deep breath.

"Promise me you'll never let me go walkign alone again." Lucy said.

"I promise." Edmund said helping her up.

As soon as she was up, they gripped on tight to each other. "Come on, let's get to bed. Peter will murder us both." Edmund said. Lucy nodded her head and then looked at the dwarf.

"What about him?" she asked.

"We'll tell one of the centaurs." Edmund replied.

Even though it was with his injured arm, he pulled her past the dead dwarf, and down the hall. They passed Orieus coming down the hall and Edmund explained what happened.

"Are you alright?" was Orieus's first question for Lucy.

"Yes. But I wouldn't be if Edmund hadn't showed up." Lucy replied.

"Good, I will take care of the dwarf. You two get on to bed." Orieus said.

They nodded their heads and started upstairs, but ran into the very angry Peter and Susan. "Where have you two been?" Peter asked.

"Well..." Edmund stuttered.

"Well... it's 1 o clock in the morning Edmund, where have you been?!" Peter yelled.

"Saving me!" Lucy yelled back.

Edmund backed up at the sudden burst of anger from his little sister.

"What?" Peter asked, confused.

"The dwarf from earlier showed up." Lucy replied.

"So, it's just a dwarf, you could handle it perfectly well." Peter said.

"I'm not finished yet." Lucy snapped "Somehow he turned into the witch. She was ready to kill me, but Edmund showed up. He fought her, but..." Lucy stopped here, unable to continue.

"Want me to finish?" Edmund asked.

Lucy nodded.

"I fought her, but when I did get in a nice slash at her stomach, she threw a dagger at Lucy and..." but here Edmund stopped, unable to continue.

"And what? Come on, don't stop!" Peter exclaimed.

"And she struck me in the chest. Edmund finished her off, came over to me, pulled out the dagger, gave me a drop of the cordial, and we came back. That's it, end of story. Good night." Lucy said quickly, pushing past Peter and Susan after she said 'good night'.

"See you in the morning." Edmund said before going after Lucy.

Peter was about to go after them, but Susan caught him. "Leave them alone, give them time to heal. They need to be alone right now." she said.

Peter nodded his head. "You sleeping in my room tonight." he said looking around. The thought of the witch coming back frightened him terribly, and knowing that Edmund had Lucy, he had to be sure Susan was safe as well.

When Edmund found Lucy, he found her in her room, gasping for breath. He knew very well what was happening. He rushed over to her, trying to calm her down.

"It's hard to breath." Lucy said.

"Take slow breath's. Stay calm, ok." Edmund said.

Lucy did as he instructed and her breathing evened out. "What happened?" she asked.

"It happened to me, the night after the witch stabbed me. The cordial may heal the injuries, but it doesn't leave you unscathed. Whenever it get's hard to breath, don't panic, you'll suffocate yourself. Take slow breath's and your breathing will go back to normal." Edmund replied.

"How long will it last?" Lucy asked.

"Depends. It lasted 4 days for me, but yours was closer to the lungs, so I don't know." Edmund replied.

"But it will go back to normal, right?" Lucy asked.

"Yes." Edmund replied.

"Ok, now to take a look at that arm of yours." Lucy said.

"What?" Edmund asked, slightly startled.

"Your arm, remember." Lucy replied.

"Oh, yeah, that." Edmund said making a face.

"Come on, roll your sleeve up. Don't want it getting infected." Lucy said lighting a candle.

He did as he was told and Lucy gasped when she saw the wound. "That's pretty bad." she said.

"Will I live?" Edmund asked teasingly.

Lucy smirked. "Gee, I don't know. If it get's infected it could go to your brain, oh wait, you don't have one." she replied.

"Alright, that's it." Edmund said tickling her with his good arm.

"Shouldn't you both be in bed." someone said from the doorway.

Lucy looked up to see her valet. "Oh, hello Camille.(A/N, I'm running out of names. Lucy's valet has the same name as Lucy's horse. Creepy huh?) We didn't mean to wake you." Lucy said.

"It's quit alright. You both needed a laugh. I haven't seen you this happy in a while." Camille said.

"We have alot to be happy about." Edmund replied.

"And what would that be?" Camille asked.

"The fact we're both alive." Lucy replied.

"Why wouldn't you be.. oh dear! King Edmund, what happened to your arm?!" Camille asked rushing over.

"The reason we're happy to be alive." Edmund replied.

"Pardon me, but did I miss something? And Lucy, what happened to you dress, it is torn in a very unladylike place, and on your left arm." Camille asked looking at Lucy.

"We'd rather not talk about it. And as for the dress, same answer as Edmund, the reason we're happy to be alive, but for now could you get me some bandages and soap and water." Lucy replied.

"Of course." Camille replied walking out of the room.

"I'm going to get into my nightgown while she's doing that." Lucy said walking behind her changing wall.

"Don't be surprised if there's a scar." Edmund said.

After a few moments Lucy gave a gasp of surprise.

"Are you alright back there?" Edmund asked.

Lucy peaked her head out from behind the wall. "Do you always have to be right?" she asked.

"When it comes to stuff I know about, yes." Edmund replied.

Lucy glarred at him before pulling her head back behind the wall. "Well, at least it's in a spot nobody can see." Lucy said.

"There better be nobody seeing it!" Edmund exclaimed.

Lucy peaked her head back out for a moment. "You know me better than that." she said before pulling her head back behind the wall once more.

"Yeah, sorry, lost my head for a second." Edmund said.

"It's alright. I suppose you have a right to go crazy over subjects such as those, considering I'm old enough now." Lucy said, walking out, dressed in her nightgown.

She walked over to the mirror, carefully combed out her hair, and braided it before walking back over to the bed. A moment later Camille walked back in, bandages and a bowl in her hand. Lucy cleaned up Edmund's arm, and was bandaging it when Camille spoke up.

"So, what are you two doing up so late?" she asked.

"Couldn't sleep, I suppose." Lucy replied.

"Alright, but as soon as he's bandaged up, I want you both in bed." Camille said.

"Yes mum." Lucy said teasingly.

"I am not your mum." Camille said, taking the joke to seriously.

"Camille, it's a joke." Lucy said.

"Oh, sorry." Camille said.

"Don't be." Lucy said.

After Edmund's arm was bandaged Camille walked out. "I'm going to go get in my nightclothes now." he said looking down, noticing he was still completely dressed.

"Alright." Lucy said, pulling back the blankets. Edmund went to change and when he came back Lucy was reading her favorite book.

"Your reading that thing again?" he asked.

Lucy looked up. "What? It's a good story." she replied.

Edmund shook his head and walked over to the bed. He climbed in the other side, and Lucy blew out the candle, shivering as she did so.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's dark." she replied.

"Don't worry, I'm right here. I'm not going to let anything hurt you." Edmund said, pulling Lucy to him, letting her know verbally and physically he wasn't going anywhere.

"Thanks Ed." Lucy whispered.

"Your welcome." he replied.

And soon they both fell asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 23. Startled_

* * *

When Lucy woke up she found it, once again, hard to breath. Not remembering what Edmund had said from just waking up, she started gasping for every breath.

Edmund startled awake, and was surprised when he saw Lucy gasping. "Slow breath's." he said. Lucy looked over at him, confused. "Slow breath's remember." he said calmly.

Lucy slowed her breathing, and eventually gained back the rythmatic pattern. "Please tell me there's no court today." Lucy said.

"No, not today." Edmund replied.

"Good." Lucy said.

There was a nock at Lucy's door, and she very nearly screamed.

"Lucy calm down, there's just someone at the door." Edmund said putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh. Come in." she said, still very startled.

The door opened and Susan stepped in. "Good morning." she said.

"Good morning." Edmund replied, but Lucy said nothing.

"Lucy?" Susan asked. Lucy startled again at her name being said. "Are you ok?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, just a little shaken up from last night, I suppose." Lucy replied.

Susan nodded her head, knowing Lucy would be a little nervous for the next few days.

"Come on, breakfast is ready. You guys slept in." Susan said.

They nodded their heads and Susan and Edmund left Lucy's room.

Lucy walked over to the closet, and pulled out a dress. She walked behind the wall, in case anyone walked in. When she had changed she walked out from behind the wall and walked over to the vanity. She let her hair out of the braid, combed it out, and pulled it up at the sides, tying it in the back. She reached for her crown, but before her hand even touched it, something pulled her backwards, and she felt something sharp against her neck. She looked in the mirror, and saw the witch. She went to scream, but the witch put her hand over Lucy's mouth.

"Now now, don't want them to know I'm in here. That would ruin everything." the witch said. Lucy started kicking and succeeded in nocking two perfume bottles off the table, them landing with a crash to the floor.

"Lucy, are you alright?" she heard Peter ask from the other side of the door.

The witch expertly slit Lucy's throat, not enough to kill her, but in the perfect spot to cut off her vocal chords, before she threw Lucy down. Lucy tried to scream, but found she was unable to. She tried to scramble away, and when she did she felt someone fighting her to stay still. She thought it was the witch, and kicked, and tried to scream even though it was unsuccessful.

"Lucy, calm down, it's me." she heard Peter say. But she was to scared to listen to him right now. "Lucy, Lucy, ssshh. It's me." Peter said scooping her up in his arms.

"Peter?" Lucy mouthed, unable to speak.

"It's me. Don't worry, your safe." Peter said.

Lucy threw her arms around his neck, and sobbed silently into his shoulder.

Susan came running in the room, her bow in hand, and an arrow on the string. "What happened?" she asked, when she saw Peter with his arms around the crying Lucy.

"I'm not exactly sure." Peter replied without looking up. She heard a blunder beind her and turned around.

"How many times do I have to kill you?!" Edmund exclaimed, looking at the ground.

"Edmund who are you talking to?" Susan asked.

Lucy looked up, gave a silent scream, and buried her head back into Peter's shoulder. Susan looked down and gasped when she saw the dead witch.

"How?" she asked.

"I'm guessing since I killed her in the dwarf, she was able to survive, and try again." Edmund replied.

"So it's over now?" Susan asked.

"I think so." Edmund replied.

The witch suddenly turned to dust, and blew away, though there was no wind, and they were inside, but it dissapeared.

"It's over." Edmund confirmed.

They walked over to Lucy, who was still crying silently.

"Why isn't she making any noise?" Susan asked. Peter pulled Lucy up, to reveal her neck. "Oh no!" Susan exclaimed reaching up for Lucy's cordial "We've got to do this quick before she looses her voice permanently." Susan poured a drop into Lucy's mouth and watched the wound on her little sister's neck dissapear.

"Can you talk?" Edmund asked.

Lucy took a deep breath. "Can you hear me?" she asked, her voice coming normally.

Peter, Susan, and Edmund let out the breath they realized they were holding. They all went down to breakfast, and went throughout the day as they usually did.

No one suspected anything, except when Lucy's breathing would come in gasps, and no matter what Edmund was doing, he would drop it, not literally, and be by Lucy's side. Or the fact that no matter where Lucy was, Peter wasn't more than a 100 yards away. Or the fact that Susan carried her bow around most of the time. But other than that, things went as usual, and everyone was able to ignore their Kings and Queens odd behavior.


	24. Chapter 24

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 24. Back In England_

* * *

The four Pevensie's came tumbling out of the wardrobe, and looked around completely confused. The spare room door opened and Professor Kirke walked in, cricket ball in hand.

The first thought that came to the kid's head, was _"Uh oh, we're in trouble." _

"I say, what were you all doing in the wardrobe?" the Professor asked.

The kids glanced around and smiled. "You wouldn't believe us, if we told you sir." Peter replied. The Professor threw the cricket ball to Peter, who caught and looked down at it, trying to remember what it was called.

_"Oh yes, a cricket ball." _he thought before looking back up at the Proffessor.

"Try me." the Proffessor said.

"Well, would you believe that we went to another world, became Kings and Queens, ruled 15 years, and wound up back here?" Peter asked.

"Kings and Queens?" The Proffessor asked. The four of them nodded their heads. "I knew you four were special. And I knew you had to be the humans from this world Aslan referred to." the Professor said.

"What?" Peter asked.

"I'm sure you heard of Fledge, the flying horse who..."

"Who took Digory Kirke, and Polly Plummer to the garden to get a special apple!" Lucy finished. That was her favorite story and she had read it often while in Narnia.

"Well, then, you've heard of me." the Proffessor said.

"You were Digory Kirke?!" the four children exclaimed.

"I _am _Digory Kirke. I'm just a Professor now." the Proffessor replied.

"Interesting." Edmund mumbled.

"I wonder..." Lucy said before peaking down her dress "Yep, still have it." she groaned.

"What?" Susan asked.

"The scar." Lucy replied.

Edmund got a look and looked down his shirt. "AGH! It's still there!" he exclaimed banging his head on the floor "I'm guessing even though we're children again, scars don't go away." he mumbled, head still on the floor.

"Greeeaaat" Susan moaned.

"Do I still have the scar on my face?" Lucy asked, turning her head, and pushing her hair out of the way.

Edmund glanced up and grimaced, nodding his head. Lucy sighed, and rest her head in her hand.

"How did you get that?" the Professor asked.

"You don't want to know." Lucy replied.

"Yes I do. Please tell me." the Professor said.

"The White Witch." Lucy replied.

"Who?" the Professor asked.

"Ja..." but Edmund slapped his hand over her mouth.

"He was the one who brought her to Narnia, remember." Edmund whispered in her ear.

"Oh." Lucy said realizing her mistake.

"Well..." the Professor said.

Lucy looked down, unable to make eye contact. "Ed, he has to know." she mumbled. The Professor waited patiently for the young girl to reply. "J...Jadis." Lucy stuttered.

"What?" the Professor asked.

"Jadis, when we first went, I ran into her, I didn't tell her what she wanted, and... she whipped me." Lucy replied, without looking up.

"You poor girl." the Professor said.

"That was a long time ago though." Lucy said, finally looking up.

"Your alot braver than I remember." the Professor said, smiling.

"Being Queen for 15 years does that." Lucy replied.

"I suppose it does." the Professor said "And I'm guessing you two were very protective of them." he said looking between Peter and Edmund.

"You have no idea!" Susan and Lucy exclaimed at the same time.

"Hey! We were protective for good reasons!" Peter said.

"I suppose." Susan said.

"Come on, we better get back." Peter said putting the cricket ball down.

"Um, Peter, I don't think we can go back." Edmund said.

"Nonesense. Of course we can go back. We've still got our whole lives ahead of us, and a whole reign to fulfill. It's the Golden Age, and if we can't go back, then that ends." Peter replied.

"Peter, he's right. We can't go back. At least not now." Lucy said.

"Then when?" Peter asked.

"I... don't know." Lucy replied.

"BUT WE HAVE TO GO BACK!" Peter exclaimed.

"Peter, calm down, we can't." Edmund said trying to calm his older brother down.

Peter stormed from the room.

"He's going to be this way until we go back, isn't he?" Susan asked.

Edmund nodded his head.

"Do you really think we'll go back?" Susan asked looking at Lucy.

"I do. Aslan would have told us if we were never coming back." Lucy replied.

The three siblings stood up. Susan closed the wardrobe door. "And so ends one part of our lives." she said.

"But the beginning of another." Lucy added, taking Susan's hand.

Susan put her arm around Edmund's shoulders, and they walked out of the spare room, or as they will always call it, Spare Oom.


	25. Chapter 25

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoress's Note: To show how Lucy's feeling in this chapter I'd sugjest you to listen to You Gave Me A Promise by Fireflight. I would have put the lyrics in here... but I didn't want to. It's taken to much time to write this chapter as is. But it's pretty long so I hope it's up to everybody's liking! Now you don't HAVE to listen to the song, but you'd understand how Lucy's feeling if you did. **

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 25. Coming Home_

* * *

Helen Pevensie stood on the platform waiting for the train to come in. She had waited a bit longer to bring her children home for safety reason's, and now she was nervous. There was only one other mother there, whom she knew well.

"It's alright Helen, I'm sure they haven't changed for the worse." the woman comforted.

"I hope your right." Helen sighed.

A few moments later the train pulled up and the doors opened. The other woman's two children came running out leaching onto her as they did.

Helen held her breathe as Peter stepped off the train. He had grown so much, and his hair was now over his ocean blue eyes, but she could tell there was something different about him.

Next came Susan. She had grown as well, her hair half-way down her back. She laughed as Peter took her suitcase with a graceful bow. She responded with a graceful curtsey.

Next came Edmund. He was nearly as tall as his brother now, and his dark hair was over his brown eyes. He had Lucy's suitcase in his hand and now Helen waited for her youngest child.

A second later Lucy came to the train door, a look of slight insecurity on her face. Helen felt herself ready to burst into tears. Even at the age of eleven, Lucy was growing tall and thin with long blonde hair, and dark brown eyes that would capture any boy's heart.

Edmund looked up at her and held out his hand, giving her a reassuring smile. She took it and stepped off the train, nearly tripping as she did so, but both Peter and Edmund were right there.

Lucy sighed and stood straight, looking up at Susan, though she didn't have to look to far up, as she was nearly as tall as her. Susan smiled at her, took her hand, and said something to Lucy Helen couldn't hear from the distance or see as Susan had turned to face when she said it. But whatever she said it made Lucy giggle, Edmund blush, and Peter smirk.

Lucy looked over at their mum and her eyes lit up. "Mummy!" she exclaimed.

Edmund looked up and smiled. "Mum!" he called excitedly.

Both children, if they could be called that anymore, ran toward Helen, hugging her tight. Helen could no longer hold it in and began crying tears of joy. Susan and Peter walked over, and hugged their mum when Lucy and Edmund let go of her.

The insecure look came back onto Lucy's face and Helen became worried. "What's wrong dear?" she asked.

"Nothing." Lucy replied. Helen could tell she was lying.

"Mum, it's nothing to worry about. She's probably just happy to be home, aren't you Lu?" Edmund said, obviously trying to help Lucy hide something.

"Yeah. Happy to be home." Lucy sighed, half-heartedly. But Helen wasn't convinced. "Don't worry mum, I'm fine." Lucy reassured.

Helen sighed. "Alright, let's get home." she said.

"If only we could." Lucy whispered.

"We will someday." Edmund said grabbing both of their suitcases.

* * *

When they got home they each ran up their room's. "My bed!" Edmund exclaimed flopping on his "My beautiful beautiful bed! Oh how I missed thee!"

Peter rolled his eyes and layed across his, now seeing what he meant.

Susan grabbed her pillow and threw it at Lucy. Lucy retaliated throwing hers at Susan. They circled each other, pillow in hand and Lucy decided not to point out the Peter and Edmund were sneaking up behind Susan, pillows in their hands. The had heard the noise the pillow made as it landed against the wall.

Susan was unsuspecting when she got wapped over the head by Edmund. She wheeled around and smacked him with the pillow. He wacked her back and they got into a series of extremely hard blows. Lucy was now laughing hysterically. Peter joined in the pillow fight and soon Lucy did too.

After a while they ended up in a heap on the floor, laughing like they hadn't laughed in a long time, by now a bundle of tangled limbs. For Susan and Edmund you couldn't tell where their hair started from the other and the same with Lucy and Peter.

"Ed! Get off me! You're like a little elephant!" Susan exclaimed.

Lucy laughed along until her back came into contact with Peter's knee. She had been holding herself up but her arm gave out as the pain started. Peter was the first to notice, since his knee had been the one that came into contact with her back, and turned pale. Edmund was the next to notice and froze.

Susan pushed him off her back and looked up. "I said get off." she mumbled. But when she saw both Peter and Edmund pale and Lucy with her face twisted in pain, she turned pale as well. Neither of them knew what to do.

But Susan reacted first. She kneeled down beside Lucy and pulled her arms around her. Peter turned red and walked from the room. Edmund was taking deep breathe's trying to keep in his anger as well. Susan knew why.

"How could that witch be so heartless?" Edmund growled.

Susan only nodded.

"Susan, will it ever stop?" Lucy asked, her breathing hitching.

"I don't know Lu, I really don't." Susan replied.

Edmund sighed and closed his eyes, still fighting off the anger at their, now dead enemy.

"Kids. Supper's ready." Helen said peaking her head in the room, but she stopped when she Lucy. "Oh Lucy, what happened?" she asked.

"I fell. I'm fine." Lucy replied. She made an effort to stand and with Susan and Edmund's help she did.

"And Edmund, are you ok? Your red." their mum asked.

"Yeah, fine. Just a little flustered I guess." Edmund replied.

"About what?" their mum asked.

"At... Peter." Edmund stuttered, searching his mind for an answer.

"I thought you two got over that." Helen said.

"We did, but brother's fight. It wouldn't be natural if we didn't." Edmund said.

"I suppose." Helen said.

Peter walked back in, still quit red and mumbling things under his breathe. "See." Edmund said.

"What?" Peter asked when Edmund pointed at him.

"That we were fighting." Edmund said with a wink, and glancing over at Lucy.

"Oh yeah, yeah." Peter said, catching on quickly.

"So you two really were fighting?" Helen asked.

"Yes ma'am." they replied.

She sighed. "Well, until you calm down, I don't want either of you at the dinner table. Lucy's hurt, and I don't think you two glarring daggers at each other's going to help any." she said.

"But I want them down there." Lucy said, glancing between her brother's.

"We've calmed down mum, we promie." Edmund said, seeing the scared look in Lucys eyes.

Peter nodded quickly, also having caught the look.

"Alright, come on then." Helen said walking down stairs. All four of them let out a relieved sigh.

"That was too close." Edmund sighed.

"Way too close." Peter agreed.

"Come on, mum said supper." Susan said. She kept a tight grip on Lucy as they walked out of the room. But before they got to the stairs, she let Peter and Edmund get on either side of Lucy.

When they got downstairs, Helen looked at Lucy concerned. Lucy just shook her head and sat down at the table. Dinner was quiet, no one said a word. Though a few glances were passed between the older three Pevensie children.

When dinner ended, Lucy quickly excused herself from the table.

"Which ones going after her?" Peter asked "I went last time."

"It's Su's turn." Edmund said quickly.

"No it's not, it's yours and you know it." Susan replied.

"But Su, she likes you more anyway." Edmund whined.

"No she doesn't." Susan said "It's your turn so go."

"Fine." Edmund said dryly "But if I make matter's worse, I blame you." he said glarring at Susan.

She stuck her tongue out at him and started helping their mum clear the table.

* * *

Edmund took a deep breathe and opened the door to Susan and Lucy's room.

Lucy looked up at him. "About time." she mumbled.

"What?" he asked.

"One of you always come after me." she replied dryly.

"It's only because we're worried about you." he said sitting beside her.

"Well, you don't have to be. I can take care of myself." she said.

"That doesn't matter. You don't have to go this alone like you think you do. How many times do we have to tell you that?" he said. Lucy looked down. Edmund sighed and pulled her into his lap. And that was all Lucy needed to burst into tears. It startled Edmund, but he quickly recovered and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her to the best of his abilities.

"It's ok Lulu." he comforted.

She looked up at him when he said that. "Lulu?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

"Hey, if you can call me Eddie, I can call you Lulu." he teased, tapping her on the nose, making her giggle.

"Fare enough." she said.

"So your still going to call me Eddie?" he asked dryly.

She giggled. "Most likely." she replied.

"I hate childhood nicknames." he mumbled.

That made Lucy burst into outright laughter. Susan peaked her head into the room. Lucy was now holding her stomach she was laughing so hard.

"What did you do to her?" Susan asked.

Edmund shrugged smirking. "Childhood nicknames." he said, making Lucy laugh even harder.

"You know what, I don't want to know." Susan said walking out. Edmund rolled his eyes.

When Lucy stopped laughing, Edmund raised an eyebrow. "Are you done now?" he asked.

"Yeah." she replied before hugging him "Thanks Eddie."

"Your welcome." he replied.

**

* * *

**

Ok, if you didn't understand where Lucy's back pains come from, it's from her time with the witch. The whip hit one of the nerves in her back, causing permanent damage. I could write an entire one-shot about that, so if you want I can. Tell me in your reviews. But I must say, I need to do it before the next chapter and get deeper into this part of the story. And it would certainly explain a bit more. But I'm leaving that up to you, my wonderful reader's. Thanks for reading.


	26. Chapter 26

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**_Authoresses Note: Ok, I had the explanation for Lucy's back pain's typed up and fit into this story, but I forgot to save it and it was deleted, and I'm sick so I didn't feel like retyping it. So you know the main gist of it. The White Witch whipped her, the whip went deep enough and got one of the nerves in her back, causing the pains she get's. Keep that in mind. And sorry if the chapter sucks, but I'm sick and it's pretty long, so you can forgive me just this once, can't you? _**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 26. Fight_

* * *

Lucy looked and saw Peter in the fight. "Oh not again." she mumbled. She saw Susan across the street, and Edmund further down this side of the street, both completely unaware. She made her decision she would tell Susan, since Edmund had the habbit of helping Peter in his fights, and 99.9% of the time, Peter would be in a fight neither one of them could handle, and Edmund would get terribly hurt, while Peter ignored it. Lucy shook her head and started across the street.

* * *

Susan stood at the newspaper stand, reading an article on the economy. She didn't know why, but it was either this or talk to someone. She heard someone else step up to the stand, but ignored it. She could tell they were starring at her and she glanced up, to see a boy somewhere around her age.

"You go to Sinfinbas?" the boy asked.

"That's right." Susan replied, and went back to her newspaper.

"I go to Hendon House, across the road." the boy said. Susan nodded.

"I see you, sitting by yourself." the boy said.

Susan was thinking of calling him a stalker, but heard her name called, and turned around to see Lucy running toward her, slightly flushed. "Or I've seen you with that." the boy said.

Susan's anger flarred up, and as Lucy got to her she slammed the magazine down. "_That _is my little sister, you... you... jerk!" Susan exclaimed, before picking up her suitcase and turning back to Lucy "What's wrong Lu?" she asked calmly.

"I still don't see how you do that." Lucy said, mesmorized by the fact her sister could still go from angry to calm in a matter of seconds "But you better come quickly."

"What is it?" Susan asked, already knowing what was coming.

"It's Peter." Lucy said dreadfully.

"Oh dear, when will he ever learn!" Susan exclaimed taking Lucy's hand and starting across the street. They fought their way through the crowd, and Lucy's mouth went wide when she saw it was now 3 against 1, and the 1 was Peter. Susan clutched Lucy's hand as she felt her little sister tense up. Peter caught sight of Susan and Lucy, and Susan shook her head. The other boys slammed Peter's head against the wall and Lucy grimaced. About that time Edmund pushed his way past her, but she caught his arm, and he turned to look at her.

"Edmund, don't." she begged. He shook his head and continued on. He jumped the boy who was pushing Peter's head against the wall, and Susan and Lucy could only hope their brother's would come out unscathed. Lucy focused on Edmund, and watched as he landed in an akward way. She saw him bite his lip, meaning he was holding back crying out in pain.

"Oh Ed." she whispered.

Suddenly whistles were blown, and people started backing up. Lucy saw Edmund stand up, and the look on his face told her he was in a great deal of pain. Lucy shot forward, and finally got to Edmund.

"Act your age!" she heard one of the policemen say, but he wasn't talking to her.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Edmund replied.

"Your lying Edmund. You can't lie anymore, not to where anyone would believe you anyway." Lucy said. Susan came up beside Lucy. "Edmund, I saw the way you landed. What hurts?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing." Edmund replied with a sigh.

"Edmund, you've got to stop this. If your going to help Peter when he get's into fights, you've got to let us help you." Susan said.

"Are they your sisters?" a policeman asked.

"Yes sir." Edmund replied.

"Then I'd do what they say." the man said, a smile coming to his face.

"You have sister's don't you?" Edmund asked.

"A younger and 2 older one's." the man replied.

Edmund nodded, but Susan and Lucy could tell he was thinking _"At least your not stuck with an older brother who likes to get's into fights, and you can't help but help!" _

"Listen to him Ed, before we beat you up!" Lucy said. The policeman raised an eyebrow at Edmund.

Edmund looked down at Lucy's eager face and sighed. "No Lucy. I'm fine." he said.

"Please Eddie. Please." Lucy said, pulling out her puppy-dog pout.

"Oh no." Edmund groaned. He looked to the policeman for help but the man shook his head.

"I could never turn down my little sister's pout. Hmm, I still can't." the man said.

Edmund looked back down at Lucy, and sighed again. "Alright, I think I... might have... possibly... dislocated my shoulder." Edmund said, waiting for the verbal assault that was bound to come.

"Edmund Michael Pevensie!" Susan shouted.

"Ooo, your in trouble." Peter said.

"And your not out of hot water yet!" Susan yelled turning to Peter.

"So much for gentle." Peter mumbled.

"So much for magnificent." Susan growled. Peter glarred at her, but she ignored it and turned back to Edmund. "You know we have to put it back into place, right?" Susan asked.

Edmund sighed. "Alright, just get it over with." he said.

"I'll do it." Lucy said "Bend down."

He sighed again and bent down, allowing Lucy to crack it back into place. He closed his eyes tight, but made no sound, as the loud crack filled the train tunnel.

"Oh and one thing Lu." Edmund said, making the words out with slight difficulty.

"Yeah." Lucy said.

"Never call me Eddie again." he said, his smile growing, letting her know he was joking.

Lucy giggled. "Alright, Eddie." she replied.

"Hey..." Edmund warned.

Lucy laughed again and turned to Peter, her smile fading. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

"Do I look it?" Peter snapped.

"Stop it Peter! She's trying to help!" Susan scolded.

"Well I don't need help." Peter snapped.

"Oh you don't do you? If Edmund hadn't come in, who knows what would have happened. He could have left you to suffer, yet he came to help, and he got hurt while you've come out unscathed!" Susan yelled.

"Maybe he can't fight." Peter said.

"Can't fight? Can't FIGHT! PETER ARE YOU CRAZY! LISTEN TO YOURSELF! EDMUND'S ONE OF THE BEST FIGHTER'S THERE IS, HE JUST DOESN'T SHOW IT!" Susan yelled.

"And why not. If he's fighting to help, then why doesn't he fight to the best of his abilities?" Peter asked.

"Because if he did, there would be nothing left of the person he was fighting." Susan said, hitting Peter on the shoulder.

"Yeah, right." Peter mumbled.

"Do you not remember all that we went through?" Susan asked, hitting him again.

Peter pushed her up against the wall. "Yes I do, why do you think I do all this?" Peter asked through gritted teeth.

Susan pushed him down. "And what do you think, you can prove yourself to get back, that's not going to work Peter! It's going to eventually kill both you and Edmund!" Susan yelled.

Peter rolled over, this time he was on top of Susan. He hated what Susan was saying, yet he knew it was true, and wanted her to stop. Susan hit him again, making him loosen his grip on her, giving her enough chance to roll over on top of him, but instead of continuing she stood up. "Peter, unlike you, I'm going to stop." she said.

"Oh so your a coward now are you?" Peter asked.

"No, I'm just not going to fight an idiot like you." Susan replied.

Peter went to attack her again, but Edmund got between them and he shoved Peter against the wall. "Peter, stop it! Do you not realize who you want to fight?!" Edmund yelled.

"Susan, who else." Peter replied.

"Susan! You actually want to fight Susan! Are you crazy! Your bigger than her, you could hurt her! I'm not saying she's weak, but she doesn't fight! Though she could kick both of our butt's at once if she wanted! So stop it!" Edmund yelled. He let Peter go, and they glarred at each other.

Lucy looked at the opposite wall and heard a strange sound. She could hear a cackling, and recognized it as the witch. She covered her ears, but the sound just got louder.

"STOP IT!" she screamed. She fell to her knees as the sound became overwhelming. She started gasping for breath. "STOP IT, PLEASE STOP!" she begged.

Susan and Edmund rushed over to Lucy, and when they got to her, the cackling stopped.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Susan asked.

"It wouldn't stop." Lucy whimpered.

"What wouldn't stop?" Edmund asked.

"The cackling. That evil laugh. It just got louder and louder." Lucy replied.

Susan and Edmund exchanged a worried glance, knowing she was talking about the witch. "Do you hear it now?" Edmund asked.

"No." Lucy replied.

"Good." Edmund said glancing around.

"I feel sick at my stomach." Lucy said, gripping her stomach.

"Does anything hurt?" Susan asked.

"My head, but that's it." Lucy replied.

Both Susan and Edmund let out a breath. "Come on, let's sit you down." Edmund said, helping Lucy up and leading her over to the bench. Susan sat down on Lucy's other side and pulled her close.

Edmund stood up and looked around, just to be safe. Peter grabbed his stuff, walked over to the bench, and sat down beside Lucy. Edmund walked back up and stood there for a second when he saw Peter had taken his place beside Lucy.

"If your going to sit, sit." Peter said.

Edmund groaned and sat down beside Peter.

"So what was it this time?" Susan asked.

Peter stood up and walked forward a bit. "He bumped me." Peter said calmly.

"So you hit him?" Lucy asked, but grabbed her stomach again as soon as she did.

"No, after he bumped me, he tried to make me apologize. That's when I hit him." Peter replied.

Susan pulled Lucy a little closer and glanced down at her before looking back up at Peter. "Really, is it that hard just to walk away?" she asked.

"I shouldn't have to!" Peter replied "I mean don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid?"

"Um, Peter, if you haven't noticed, we _are _kids." Edmund replied.

"Well I wasn't always." Peter said "It's been a year, how long does He expect us to wait?"

"I think it's time we face it that we live here. It's no use pretending any differently." Susan said.

"Susan, don't talk like that. Please." Lucy said before her stomach gave another lurch.

"Lucy's right. We'll go back someday, but we shouldn't get mad, or go mad from the wait. We know we're going back, so..."

"How do you know?" Peter asked, interupting Edmund.

"Ow!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping up.

"What's wrong Lu?" Susan asked.

"Somebody pinched me." Lucy said pointing at Peter.

"Hey, stop pulling!" Peter exclaimed jumping up, and looking down at Edmund.

"I'm not touching you." Edmund replied.

The train started whizzing by and Susan and Edmund jumped up as well. "What is that?" Susan asked.

A moment later each of them were silent as the scene began changing. A moment after that, they were walking out on a beach. They each realized it automatically. Lucy stepped sideways and looked up at Susan. Both of their smiles grew and they took of towards the water.

"Come on." Peter said, giving Edmund a pat on the arm, and taking off after the girls.

They started splashing in the ocean, and having a good time. Peter and Edmund swam out as far as the could, racing each other, Susan and Lucy cheering them on. When they felt they needed to they turned around and came back, giving Susan and Lucy the opportunity to race each other. When they had reached their limit they turned around and came back.

"So, who won?" Peter asked when they got back.

"Susan/Lucy." Susan and Lucy said at the same time.

"No you did!" they said, once again, at the same time.

"Alright, it was a tie." Edmund said, making the final decision.

"Fair enough." Lucy said.

They started splashing again, and Edmund looked up and froze where he was.

"Hey, Ed, whatcha lookin at?" Lucy asked.

When he didn't move, Susan stepped up. "Ed?" she asked.

Lucy jumped up, clinging to his neck, hoping to get him to say or do anything.

"Where do you suppose we are?" Edmund asked.

"Well where do you think?" Peter asked.

"That's just the thing. I don't remember any ruins in Narnia." Edmund replied.

Everyone looked up and became just as shocked as Edmund. Lucy, who was still hanging off of Edmund, lost her grip and fell back into the water, it coming up to her neck, but she was to stunned to move.

Finally the adventurous part of Lucy caught up with her and she stood up, ran up to the side of the cliif and started trying to figure out a way to the top. Peter, Susan and Edmund finally moved when Lucy started climbing.

"Lucy, what are you doing?!" Susan asked.

"We've got to get up there someway." Lucy replied looking down.

"But what if we fall?" Susan asked.

"If you don't want to try it that's fine. And another thing, since I'm looking down, you better count your blessings I'm not afraid of heights!" Lucy exclaimed.

"She has a point." Edmund said.

"Well, come on. She's right, we have to get up there someway." Peter said, starting to climb after Lucy.

"Besides, I can remember climbing things bigger than this!" Edmund said.

"You can, you used to climb that cliff all the way up to Cair, but I could never manage it!" Susan said.

"Want me to stay down here with you?" Edmund asked.

"No, I'll go." Susan replied.

"Alright, you go first, maybe I can shield your fall." Edmund said, a smirk growing on his face.

"Oh yes, way to show faith." Susan said starting to climb.

"I know." Edmund said, climbing after her.

Before they were even halfway up, Lucy had already reached the top. By the time they had reached halfway, Peter had reached the top. Peter helped Susan up when she got to the top. But when Edmund reach the top, the edge of the cliff gave way, and Edmund would have fallen, had Peter not caught his hand.

"Please don't drop me." Edmund begged.

"Oh yes, I plan on letting you plummit to your death, come on you know me better than that!" Peter replied.

"Can you handle my weight?" Edmund asked.

"We'll see." Peter mumbled.

"We'll see?!" Edmund exclaimed.

"I'm kidding." Peter replied "Um, Su, a little help!"

Susan looked over and saw Edmund calmly dangling, gripping Peter's hands so tight they were turning white, and vise versa. She rushed over and grabbed one of his hands.

"On the count of three, pull." Peter said. Susan nodded her head. "You ready Ed?" Peter asked.

Edmund got his footing against the cliff. "Yeah." he replied.

"One... Two... Three" Peter said, and they both started pulling. Once they got him up far enough, Peter grabbed him around the waist and pulled, while Susan kept her grip on Edmund's hand. With a big struggle, they were able to pull Edmund up.

"Thanks." he said.

"Like we were going to let you die." Susan said, giving him a quick hug before searching for Lucy. She saw her and walked forward, but Lucy turned around and looked up at her.

"I wonder who lived here." she said, an apple in her hand.

Susan kept walking toward her, but stepped on something. She looked down, and picked up a golden chess peices. "I think we did." she said. Lucy walked forward, and Peter and Edmund came up too.

"Hey that's mine, from my chess set." Edmund said, taking it from Susan, who handed it to him.

"What chess set?" Peter asked.

"Well, I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchley now did I?" Edmund replied, looking over the familiar intricate design of the chess peice. Lucy looked up and saw something very famliar.

"It can't be." she whispered running up the small hill. The other's ran after her. Edmund slowed as he realized what she was pointing towards. "Imagine walls." Lucy said, pulling Peter in front of a hunk of stone "And collums there." Lucy said, pulling Susan in front of the hunk of stone beside the stone Peter was in front of "And a glass roof." Lucy said motioning upwards. The others looked around as they realized they were in the throne room of Cair Paravel.

"It's Cair Paravel." Peter stated awestruck. And the four stood there for a while, trying to figure out what to do, and where to go next.


	27. Chapter 27

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoresses Note: Reviews are truely welcome! PLEASE!**

_The Neverending Winter _

_Chaper 27_

* * *

"Where are you going, Edmund?" Lucy asked, as Edmund started walking in a different direction.

He didn't reply, but the other's followed after him. He bent down in front of a big boulder.

"Catapaults?" Peter asked, confused.

"Yes, that means this didn't just happen. Cair Paravel was attacked." Edmund replied, a pained look in his eyes.

Peter walked towards a stone door, and everyone else followed. He and Edmund pushed the door back to reveal a wooden one in it's place. They started tearing the wood down until the door swung open. Peter grabbed a stick, tore off a bit of his shirt at the bottom, and tied it around the stick.

"I don't suppose you have any matches, do you?" Peter asked, looking around at the other's.

Edmund opened his bag. "No, but would this help?" he asked, a smirk growing as he pulled out an electric torch.

"You could have mentioned that a bit sooner." Peter said. Susan and Lucy looked down, trying not to laugh. Edmund chuckled, turned on the torch and started down the stairs. Peter motioned for Susan and Lucy to go first, and they started down after Edmund.

They came to another door that was also easily opened, and it led to another set of stairs, and where you could look down into the treasury, which a treasury it was. Lucy paused and looked down, before running down the stairs. She ran to her chest, and opened it, eager to look inside it. She pulled out a dress and put it up to herself, and the dress was much to long for her.

"I was so tall." she said.

"You were also older." Susan replied.

"As compared to thousands of years later, when your younger." Edmund said, with a helmet on his head that was much to big for him.

"I always knew you had a big head." Susan said.

He pulled it off and teasingly glarred at her. "Hahaha, very funny." he said.

"I thought it was!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Stop gaining up on me!" Edmund exclaimed.

"Oh, but it's so fun." Susan said.

"Alright, your pushing it." Edmund teased.

Peter walked up and opened his chest. He pulled out his sword, and then pulled it out of it's sheath. "When Aslan bares His teeth, winter meets it's death." he recited.

"And when He shakes His mane, we shall have spring again." Lucy finished. Everyone looked up at her, and were startled at the sadness on her face. "Everyone we knew, Mr. Tumnus, the Beaver's, their all gone." she said.

"I think it's time we found out what went on here." Peter said.

Lucy nodded, unable to say another word. Edmund pulled out his sword and fingered the silver lion head. Susan pulled out her bow, and quiver full of arrows.

"My horn. I left it on my saddle the day we went after the stag." she said.

Lucy nodded her head and pulled out a dress and slippers. "What are you doing?" Susan asked.

"If we're going to find out what happened, we can't go around dressed like this. We're back in Narnia." Lucy replied.

"She has a very good point." Edmund said pulling out a blue tunic, and brown breeches. Susan nodded her head and pulled out a purple dress. And Peter paused before pulling out a brown tunic, and pants.

"We'll have to take turns changing. There's no seperate rooms, and all the ones upstairs are not usable, so who's going first, boy's or girls?" Susan asked.

Peter and Edmund exchanged a glance. "Lady's first." they said running up the steps.

"I love that rule." Lucy said. Susan chuckled, and they changed as quickly as they could, desperate not to be alone. They took a brush and a few hair ties and ran up the stairs. When they got there they realized Peter and Edmund had taken their swords, and were battling it out. It was quit a strange sight to see them fighting in their english clothes.

"Hey, if you'll stop fighting for five minutes, you guys can go change now." Lucy said.

They both stopped and raced down the steps. Susan shook her head, and turned Lucy around to do her hair. When she got done, she turned around for Lucy to do her's, since it's easier for another to do ones hair, then for one to do their hair oneself. About the time Lucy was finishing up, Peter and Edmund came back upstairs.

"Much better." Susan said, nodding her approval.

"I now understand what Father Christmas meant by grow as you grow, shrink as you shrink." Edmund said, pulling out his sword again.

"How'd he know you were going to shrink 15 years?" Peter asked.

"I don't know." Edmund said shrugging.

"He may not have known. He might have meant something else." Lucy said.

Suddenly Susan strung her bow and started running. She was heading toward the beach. Since they knew they were at Cair Paravel, they knew the easier way down. Susan already had an arrow fitted on the string when she got to the beach. Peter and Edmund had their swords out, just in case. When they caught up to Susan, she was aiming at a boat, with two men, and a dwarf. The dwarf was tied up.

"Drop him!" Susan yelled. The two men exchanged a glance, and threw the dwarf in the water.

"Not like that!" Lucy yelled. Susan shot one of the men and the other jumped in after. Peter and Edmund handed Susan and Lucy their swords, and ran toward the water. "I'll go after the dwarf, you get the boat. And be careful, Susan didn't shoot the other one, he just fell in." Peter said. Edmund nodded his head and dove in the water. Peter dove in next, found the dwarf, who was nearly at the bottom, and pulled him up. When Peter brought the dwarf back up, Lucy used her dagger to cut the ropes. The dwarf coughed and sputtered as he removed the gag from his mouth himself.

"Drop him!" he exclaimed "Is that the best you could come up with?"

"A simple thank you would suffice." Susan said.

"They were doing well drowning me on their own!" the dwarf said.

"Well maybe we should have let them." Peter said.

"Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy asked, handing Edmund his sword back.

"Their Telmarines, that's what they do." he replied, noting the silver lion head.

Edmund finished strapping the sword around his waist, and looked up. "Temarines, in Narnia?" he asked.

"Where have you been for the last hundred years?" the dwarf asked, sarcastically.

"It's a long story." Lucy replied, glancing over at Edmund, who was hiding a smirk.

Susan handed Peter his sword, and now the dwarf thought he was going absolutely crazy as he saw the golden lion head. "Oh you've got to be kidding me." the dwarf said.

Peter looked utterly bemused. "Pardon?" he asked.

"Your it! Your the Kings and Queens of old!" the dwarf replied.

Peter stuck out his hand. "High King Peter, the Magnificent." he said.

"You could have left off the last bit." Susan said.

The dwarf started chuckling. "Probably." he said.

"You might be surprised." Peter said pulling out his sword.

"Oh you don't want to do that boy." the dwarf said.

"Not me, him." Peter replied looking back at Edmund.

Edmund made a face but pulled out his sword anyway. Peter handed the sword to the dwarf, and he very nearly dropped it. The dwarf unexpectedly made a first swing at Edmund, which he dodged at first, but still got hit on the side of his face with the flat side of the sword.

"Oh, are you alright?" the dwarf asked, striking again, but this time Edmund moved, and was able to give the dwarf a hit one the rear with the flat side of his sword.

"I've had worse." he replied.

The dwarf growled and attacked him again, and this time, they were going at it tooth and nail. But Edmund was able to disarm him, and his sword stopped not but an inch away from the dwarf's head.

"Beards and bedsticks! Maybe that horn worked after all." the dwarf said.

Edmund nearly dropped his sword. "What horn?" Susan asked.

"I'm sure you'd know of your own magic horn." the dwarf said.

"Yes, but where is it?" Susan asked excitedly.

"With Caspian." the dwarf replied.

"Who?" Lucy asked.

"Prince Caspian." the dwarf said again.

The four looked at the dwarf, still confused.

"The boy who blew the horn!" the dwarf replied.

"Yes, we understand that, but where did he get it?" Peter asked.

"That I do not know." the dwarf replied.

"That's helpful." Edmund mumbled.

"Caspian, is the boy who is to take the throne. Right now, there technically isn't a king, but there is a man who is more of a king than what he truely is. If Caspian dies, this man get's the throne. A couple of nights ago, this man made an attempt at killing Caspian, so that tells you that this man would not be fit to be a king. So Caspian fled to the woods, found us, actually we found him, and I came to search for you, but the only problem is I got captured along the way. Which is where you came in at." the dwarf said.

"So your going to take us to him?" Peter asked.

"Yes, that's the plan." the dwarf replied.

"Well then, you can't go weaponless. Let's go find you a sword, and a bow, and we'll go on our way." Peter said.

"Sounds good to me." the dwarf said.

Edmund and Lucy drew up the back. "So what do you think of him?" Lucy whispered.

"I think he's a good fighter, trustworthy, a little sour, but what dwarf isn't. All in all, a good guide." Edmund replied in a whisper.

Lucy nodded her head. "Edmund the Just at work." she said.

"Shut up." he mumbled.

"I just hope this is a new start." Lucy sighed.

"What do you mean?" Edmund asked.

"Last time I came to Narnia, I found something I didn't need to. And things came from that, that shouldn't have happened in the first place." Lucy replied.

Edmund put his arm around her shoulder's. "But your not alone this time." he said.

"And if I were, I think I'd be going crazy right about now." Lucy said.

"Well, you don't have to." Edmund replied.

"Come on you two, catch up!" Peter said.

She started to run, but immediately stopped, when she felt a familiar twinge in her back. "Ed." she said, fear in her eyes.

He stopped running and turned around. "What is it?" he asked.

"My back." Lucy replied.

He came back over to her. "Then don't run. You don't need to strain yourself." Edmund replied.

"Come on!" Peter yelled.

"We'll be there in a minute!" Edmund snapped.

"Teenager's." Peter mumbled.

"Your one to you know." Susan said.

"Shut up. I thought you were on my side." Peter said.

"When it comes to Narnia, yes. When it comes to our little siblings, no." Susan replied.

"Traitor." Peter mumbled.

By now Edmund and Lucy had caught up. Lucy went to lunge at Peter, but Edmund caught her. "Don't strain yourself." he said calmly.

"You know I hate that word." Lucy said, looking up at Peter.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for you to hear it." Peter said.

"That doesn't matter. You shouldn't call her what she isn't." Lucy replied.

"She has a point." Edmund said.

"Let's just hurry, the sooner we get going, the less we'll all talk." Peter said turning back around.

"I thought he'd get better." Susan whispered.

"So did I." Lucy said.

"I guess a year's done to much to him. It's going to take alot more than coming back to get our brother to come back." Edmund said with a sigh.

The dwarf was standing there waiting for the other's, and kept walking when they started walking again.


	28. Chapter 28

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**_

**Authoresses Note: I know, this chapter isn't my best. It's short and whimpy. But in my defense I've been really busy and this is all I could come up with! So please review! The more reviews the sooner I'll post again!**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 28_

After they had found the dwarf, whom's name is Trumpkin, a sword and bow, they started out immediately. They figured the quicker they could get to Caspian, the better. They had been traveling by boat for a bit, when they came to a place in the river that had tree's overhead. Lucy looked up, yearning for a dryad to come out of one of them, and come and talk to her.

"It's so still." she said, mainly talking to herself.

"Their trees. What do you expect?" Trumpkin asked.

"They used to dance." Lucy replied.

"When the Telmarines invaded Narnia, the tree's went so deep into themselves, they can't wake up now." Trumpkin said.

"I don't understand. How could Aslan have let this happen." Lucy said.

"Aslan? I thought he went off after you four dissapeared." Trumpkin said.

"We didn't mean to leave you know." Peter said.

"It doesn't matter now." Trumpkin said.

"Get us to the Narnians and it will." Peter replied.

Everyone decided it was best not to talk, after that.

"We'll land up there." Trumpkin said pointing, after a while.

Peter nodded and steared the boat in that direction. When they landed, Lucy was going to help pull the boat up, but Edmund, gently pushed her back.

"No. You can't strain yourself, remember." he said.

"But it's passed now." Lucy said.

"It would be best not to push it." Edmund said, as he started to help pull the boat up.

Lucy decided to walk around a bit, since she couldn't help. She saw a bear, by the water's edge further up.

"Hello there." she greeted.

The bear looked up at her, and this caught her siblings attention as well.

"It's alright, we're friends." she said, walking further. But she stopped when the bear gave a growl.

"Don't move your majesty." Trumpkin said.

She turned around and looked at him, but when she turned back around to the bear, he was coming at her, full speed. She began to grow very worried.

"Run!" Peter yelled, seeing the bear wasn't going to stop.

Lucy turned around and started running toward the others, but tripped over one of the bigger rocks. She tried to scramble back, up, but the bear was right on top of her. Susan had her bow ready and was shouting out threats, but the bear wasn't easing any.

"Shoot! Susan, shoot!" Edmund shouted.

The bear had it's paw, with claws extended, not but an inch from Lucy's back, when he suddenly stopped. Everyone looked at Susan, but their gaze went to Trumpkin.

"Why wouldn't he stop?" Susan asked.

"I suspect he was hungry." Trumpkin replied, walking past her.

Peter and Edmund ran over to Lucy. She was frozen on the ground, worried that if she moved, the bear would snatch her up. But the worry passed as soon as she felt Peter and Edmund helping her up. She latched onto Edmund, while Peter looked slightly hurt that she had chosen Edmund over him, but wasn't truely surprised. Susan ran up and put her hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, fine." Lucy replied. Susan put her arms around both Edmund and Lucy.

"He was wild, wasn't he?" Edmund asked.

"Yes. If you treat an animal like one for so long, that's what they become." Trumpkin replied "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." he said, starting to cut the bear.

Susan and Lucy hid their faces.

"Why don't you two go back to the boat?" Edmund suggested.

"Ok." Susan said, pulling Lucy along with her.

Lucy buried her head into Susan shoulder, and let Susan lead the way.

"It's ok Lu, it's going to be ok." Susan said, rubbing Lucy's shoulder.

After Trumpkin, Peter, and Edmund finished getting the meat they could off of the bear, they cleaned their hands and the five of them started on their way again.

That night Susan and Edmund made Lucy sleep between them.

A while after Edmund had fallen asleep Lucy sighed.

"Can't sleep?" Susan asked.

Lucy startled, and looked over. "No." she replied.

"What's wrong?" Susan asked.

Lucy sighed again, and turned in Susan's direction. "Everytime I close my eyes, it's like I'm in the witch's chamber again. I don't know why, but I hate it." Lucy replied.

"Well, you've got to get some sleep." Susan said.

"I know. But I'm afraid to close my eyes again." Lucy said.

Susan pushed Lucy closer to Edmund, and got closer to Lucy. In his sleep, Edmund put his arms around Lucy, and Susan huddled close to Lucy.

"Try it now." she said.

Lucy closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.


	29. Chapter 29

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 29_

* * *

"I don't remember this way." Susan said, after they had been traveling for a while.

"That's the problem with girl's. You can't carry a map in your heads." Peter said.

"That's because our heads have something in them!" Lucy replied.

"You know that includes me right?" Edmund asked.

"With the exception to Edmund." Lucy said.

"Thank you." Edmund said.

"I wish we would have just listened to the DLF in the first place." Susan said.

"DLF?" Edmund asked.

"Dear little friend." Susan replied.

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks.

_...Mr. Tumnus was a statue. "NO!" Lucy screamed running up to the statue. _

_"Hope you said a nice good-bye to your _dear little friend_" the witch's cackled..._

"Lu?" Susan asked, but her sister was stuck where she was.

"Lucy?" Edmund asked, putting a hand on Lucy shoulder. As soon as he did so she screamed, and got as far against the wall of rock that was to the side as possible. "Lucy, it's me." Edmund said, but Lucy was once again frozen in place.

Peter walked back up. Susan and Edmund exchanged a glance. Susan walked towards Lucy, which just made Lucy look even more scared than before. "Lucy, it's me. It's only me." Susan said.

Suddenly, Lucy started running in the opposite direction.

"Lucy!" Susan and Edmund shouted running after her, and Peter wasn't to far behind.

Susan was able to tackle her, sending them both to the ground. Lucy screamed and fought.

"Ed, help." Susan said, as Lucy was nearly to the point of overpowering her. Edmund went to his older sister's aid, and held Lucy down. This just made her fight more.

"Lucy! It's us! Calm down! Nothing's going to hurt you!" Edmund exclaimed.

"Ed?" Lucy asked, out of breath.

"It's just us." he said again.

Lucy looked up at him, then over at Susan. "It's ok. It's just us." Susan said gently.

"Come on. We've got to get going again." Edmund said gently, helping Lucy up.

"Are you alright?" Susan asked.

"Yes." Lucy replied.

"Are you sure?" Edmund asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Lucy replied.

Peter looked at Edmund for a confirmation to start going again, and Edmund nodded his head. "Alrigh then, let's go." Peter said.

Susan, Edmund, and Lucy brought up the end. "Susan, Edmund, am I going mad?" Lucy asked.

"No Lucy, you had a traumatizing experience. Something like you went through is going to be tough to handle, especially if it keeps coming back to haunt you." Edmund replied.

"By the way, what made you get scared back there?" Susan asked.

"You said dear little friend. That's what the witch called Mr. Tumnus, when I first saw he was stone." Lucy replied.

"Oh, Lu. I'm so sorry." Susan said.

"It's alright. You didn't know." Lucy said, taking Susan's hand.

Lucy started taking deeper breath's than before and looked like she wanted to faint.

"Lu, are you sure your alright?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lucy replied. Susan and Edmund walked on. "I think." Lucy said to herself.

They walked further, and soon came to a tunnel in the road. "I'm not lost." Peter said.

"No. Your just going the wrong way." Trumpkin said.

Peter turned around. "You said you last saw Caspian at the shuddering woods, and the quickest way there is to cross at the river rush."

"But unless I am mistaken, there is no crossing in these parts."

"That explains it then." Peter said "Your mistaken." He walked on, leaving the other's slightly behind.

"Don't listen to him Trumpkin, he's not himself." Susan said.

"What do you mean by that?" Trumpkin asked.

"He's not the King he once was." she replied.

"Did you three stay the same?" Trumpkin asked.

"We became children again, but that's about it." Edmund replied.

"Yes, children again. Puberty. Ugh." Lucy said shivering at the thought, Edmund shivering along with her.

Susan chuckled. Trumpkin gave her a questioning look. "Don't ask." she said.

They started after Peter and soon came to a cliff. "See, over time the water erodes the earth's soil, causing..."

"Oh shut up." Peter said, cutting Susan off.

"Is there a way down?" Edmund asked Trumpkin.

"Yeah, falling." Trumpkin replied. Edmund rolled his eyes.

"Well, we won't last." Peter said.

"There's a ford near Beruna, how do you feel about swimming?" Trumpkin asked.

"I'd rather that than walking." Susan replied.

Lucy looked across the gorge and her heart lifted so high she thought she'd burst. "Aslan?" she said. Everyone turned around. "ASLAN! IT'S ASLAN OVER THERE!" Lucy exclaimed "Aslan's right over..." Lucy turned back around, only to see nothing there "...there."

"Do you see him now?" Trumpkin asked.

"I'm not crazy. It was Aslan. And he wanted us to follow him." Lucy replied looking up at Peter.

"I'm sure there's any number of lion's in this wood. Just like that bear." Peter said.

"I think I know Aslan when I see Him!" Lucy said.

"Look, I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exist." Trumpkin said.

"She's always been right before." Edmund said.

"Why wouldn't I have seen him?" Peter asked.

"Maybe you weren't looking." Lucy replied.

"I'm sorry Lu." Peter said walking away.

"Susan?" Lucy asked.

"Sorry Lu." Susan said, a pained look in her eyes before walking away. Lucy didn't even bother to look at Edmund, but instead looked out at the other side of the gorge. She felt a hand on her shoulder a second later.

"He really was there." Lucy whispered.

"If it counts, I believe you." Edmund said. Lucy looked up at him so quickly, she nearly gave herself whiplash.

"You do?" she asked.

"Of course. Like I said, you've never been wrong before. And I don't think you'd start now." Edmund replied.

"Oh Edmund!" Lucy exclaimed, throwing her arms around his waist.

"Come on you two! Hurry up!" Peter yelled.

Lucy looked back out over the gorge. "If you want to go..."

"No, we don't want to make Peter mad. Besides, if we go, and he doesn't see the way we go, if he comes back to himself, he'll end up jumping over the cliff after us, and I don't know about you, but I don't want Peter going splat." Lucy interupted him.

"Ok." Edmund said leading her away from the cliff edge, taking one last glance, just to assure himself. They started after the other's again, and not long after they had caught up, Lucy's stopped.

"Come on Lu, we've got to..." but Edmund wasn't able to finish his sentance before Lucy collapsed. But luckily he was able to catch her before she hit the ground. "PETER! SUSAN!" he yellled in a paniced voice.

They turned around, and turned pale as they did so. "LUCY!" Susan screamed running up to her, but Peter had to catch himself from fainting before he could follow after her.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked when he finally got over to them.

"I don't know. She just collapsed. I was barely able to catch her, I don't know." Edmund said, his voice shaky.

"Is she hurt?" Peter asked.

"I don't know." Edmund replied.

A moment later Susan screamed, though she had a very good reason. Blood was starting to puddle through Lucy's dress on her chest.

"Oh dear Aslan!" Edmund exclaimed, shocked beyond words.

"What?" Peter asked, trying to calm his own shaky voice.

"That's where the witch stabbed Lucy, that night! That's the exact same spot! I should know, I was there!" Edmund exclaimed. Susan pulled out Lucy's cordial and gave her a drop.

Lucy started coughing and grabbed her head. "Oh, what happened?" she asked.

"We're not sure." Edmund replied.

"Do you remember fainting?" Peter asked.

"Yes. But I'd rather get away from this place, if you don't mind." Lucy replied. Peter nodded his head, Lucy stood up, and started walking as fast as she could.

"Wait for us!" Peter called chasing after her.

"Well, that was a change in mood." Susan said.

"To big of one." Edmund said.

Both of them were very suspicious, but kept their mouth's shut.

"Did I just miss something?" Trumpkin asked.

"Did you see the blood on Lucy's chest?" Susan asked.

"Yeah." Trumpkin replied.

"Then know. You just watched a Queen of Narnia.. die." Susan said, getting the last word out with difficulty.

"Yeah, just the thing every Narnian wants to do." Trumpkin said, before walking after Peter and Lucy.

"Oh yeah, trying being her older sibling!" Edmund replied.

"Ok, you got me there." Trumpkin said.

They had to run to catch up with Peter and Lucy. When they got to the River where they were going to pass, they found Telmarines building a bridge. They knew there was no way they could pass this way.

They were staying hidden by a pile of logs. Lucy couldn't help but try and search out a nyad that might be there in the water, but saw none. A second later, Edmund was pulling her down, and trying to hide himself as well. She glanced over at Susan and Peter and found they were trying to stay hiden too. She looked back up at Edmund who was focused on the danger that was close by. But when he felt Lucy look up at him, he looked down at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

They looked back over at Peter who was trying to quietly move away and back into the woods. Susan follwed next, after her, Trumpkin went. Lucy glanced up at Edmund. He nodded and she walked after them, but he was close behind.

"So what's our next plan?" Edmund asked, giving Peter a dry look, once they were far enough away.

"I don't know." Peter sighed.

"Then are you willing to go with my plan?" Edmund asked, leaning against a tree.

"Yes, oh Just one, enlighten us." Peter said dryly. Lucy looked down, so she wouldn't glare at him. Edmund gritted his teeth for a minute before closing his eyes and sighing, trying to swallow his anger.

"Well, my plan would be, we go back to the gorge, and see what we can find. I truely believe Lucy saw Aslan, and if He was there, there has to be some kind of way across." he said calmly.

Before Peter could speak up, Susan said "He has a point. I'm not exactly sure if Lucy saw Aslan, but it's our only plan for the time being."

Peter grunted. "Fine, we'll go." he said.

Edmund gave him a slightly victorious look before standing straight from where he has been leaning against the tree, and walked past him towards the gorge. Lucy was close behind him.

"She's like a puppy to him." Susan chuckled.

"Do I look like I care." Edmund smiled, having heard her.

Lucy smiled and continued after him, and Susan was close behind her.

When they got to the gorge, Lucy looked to the opposite side.

"So where do you think you saw Aslan?" Peter asked.

Lucy turned on him. "I wish you'd all stop trying to act like grown ups!" she exclaimed "I don't _think _I saw Him, I _know _I saw him!"

"I am a grown up." Trumpkin said.

"And I believed you, I'm not acting like one." Edmund said.

Lucy smiled. "Ok, you two have an excuse." she said before looking at the edge. She moved closer to it. "He was right over..." but she broke off as the ground fell out from under her, and she fell. Being the closest one to her, Edmund bent down, looking over the edge, ready to grab her. Susan, Trumpkin, and Peter were by his side in a second's notice, but it wasn't needed. "... here." Lucy said looking up at them. She looked down and saw a ledge. "There's a way down!" she said.

Edmund looked up at Peter. "You were saying?" he asked.

Peter rolled his eyes. Edmund smirked and looked back down at Lucy. "I'm coming down, look out." he said.

Lucy nodded and moved out of the way, and slowly starting down the ledge. The other's were close behind and she sighed when she finally made it to the bottom.

"Alright, we've got to go that way, and we don't know how slippery the rocks are, so be careful." Edmund said standing beside her.

She nodded and started walking down the creek, Trumpkin and Edmund on either side of her. They found out pretty quickly that the rocks were much slippery than they looked. Lucy gripped onto Edmund as she very nearly slipped.

"Careful." he said gently.

She nodded, and kept walking, being more careful to watch her step.

That night, once again, Lucy couldn't sleep.

"What happened earlier?" Susan asked.

Lucy looked over at her. "I don't know, invisble arrow." she replied, half-heartedly, obviously caught up in her own thoughts.

"Lucy, come on you can tell me." Susan said.

Lucy let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes. "When we were walking, I heard the witch say 'my time for revenge is near'. Not but a second later, I felt a pain in my chest, and it became extremely hard to breath. I tried to keep walking, but after a moment, unconciousness overpowered me, and after that I don't remember much. But I do remember an eerie feeling as we passed by the spot." Lucy said.

"What do you mean an eerie feeling?" Susan asked.

"Like I'd been there before." Lucy replied.

"You don't think that's where the witch's camp, was it?" Susan asked.

Lucy jumped up. "That's it!" she exclaimed in a whisper, so not to wake the other's.

"What's it?" Susan asked.

"The witch's camp! Torture didn't just happen at the castle, it happened at the camp as well, that has to be it!" Lucy replied.

Susan nodded her head, trying to keep the thought of Lucy being tortured out of her head. Lucy layed back down, and gasped a second later, sitting back up looking around.

"What?" Susan asked.

Lucy didn't reply, but continued looking around.

Edmund startled in his sleep beside her, but just rolled over, a grimace on his face.

Susan looked up when Peter startled. "Get away from her." he mumbled before rolling over.

"What's going..."

_"I hope you've enjoyed your sister. My revenge will come again, until I succeed." _a voice said, interupting her question.

"There has to be some way to finish her off." Susan mumbled.

_"Do not fear, my daughter, your sister will be free sooner than you think." _she heard Aslan say.

"Will she survive?" Susan whispered. Lucy looked over at Susan, with a confused look. She heard no answer. "Well that's comforting." she mumbled.

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing." Susan said quickly.

"Lu, Lucy, where are you?" Edmund mumbled in his sleep.

"I'm right here, open your eyes." Lucy replied.

"Huh?" Edmund said looking up at her, rubbing his eyes drousily.

"You big dolt." Lucy said playfully smacking him.

"I woke up for an insult. I'm going back to sleep." Edmund said, rolling back over.

"Apparently he didn't remember his dream." Susan said.

"Wrong again." Edmund said.

"Little brother's." Susan mumbled under breath "Come on, we need to get to sleep as well."

Lucy nodded and turned toward Edmund, and huddled up against his back, since he was turned the other way. He peaked his head, over and looked slightly surprised, but turned back over, and put his arm over her. Susan smiled and rolled over until she was comfortable.


	30. Chapter 30

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**_

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 30_

_

* * *

_

Lucy woke up and heard a strange sound not to far away. To her, it was a lion's low growl. Edmund still had his arm over her, so she carefully wiggled out from under him, and walked toward's the source of the sound. When she came to one part, the tree's started moving apart, making a perfect walkway for. Some of them gave slight bows to their young Narnian queen, some of them just watched as she walked by, thanking Aslan their kings and queens had returned. After she came to the end, she saw Aslan on a small hill.

_"Aslan!" she exclaimed, running up to him "I've missed you so much." she said as she hugged Him. _

_"I'm never far away, dear heart." He replied. _

_"Should I go get the others?" Lucy asked. _

_"No. Do you remember the way you came to Me?" He asked. _

_"Yes." Lucy replied, slightly confused. _

_"Then you must wake up." He said. _

_"I'm asleep?" she asked. _

_"Yes, but do not fret, you will see me again soon." He replied. _

_"How soon is soon?" Lucy asked. _

_"All time is soon to me, dear heart." He replied "Now, awaken." _

Lucy opened her eyes, fully awake. She could tell it was somewhere around 8 or 9'o'clock. She removed Edmund's arm from around her, and stood up. She didn't bother to wake any of them up, though she didn't see Peter. _"Must have gone for a walk." _she thought.

She stood up, and started the way she had gone in the dream. She saw the tree's that had parted, but this time they didn't make way for her. She reached out to one, anxious to feel a dryads touch on her fingertips. "Wake up." she said simply, though her eyes were begging. Nothing happened, and she continued on.

She was coming around a bush when she heard a growl. "Aslan." she said anxiously, but not but a second after she had said that, she felt a hand over her mouth, and she was being pulled backwards. _"PETER! SUSAN! EDMUND!" _she screamed in her head, though the screams never made it out of her mouth, thanks to the hand that was over it.

But then she realized it was Peter. She gave him a questioning look, and he motioned to look past the bush, but be quiet. She looked up and saw a minotaur, and tried not to gasp. She ducked back down quickly, and Peter made another gesture to be quiet. She nodded her head, and watched him walk quietly past, and pull out his sword. Before he got to the minotaur, another boy about his age attacked him, and the fight was on. It didn't last long though, because Peter disarmed the boy, and then got his own sword stuck in a tree. The boy kicked him away, and Peter reached for a rock.

_"LUCY! STOP HIM!" _Aslan roared in Lucy's head.

"NO! STOP!" she cried coming from the bush.

The boy glanced at her, ready to slash at her, once he got the sword free, but Peter continued coming at the boy.

"STOP!" she screamed again, this time lunging at Peter, nocking him down. "Are you deaf?! I said stop!" Lucy yelled, hovering over him.

"Get off me!" Peter growled, struggling, but Lucy held him down.

Now how a she did that, is a complete mystery.

"Not until you calm down!" Lucy exclaimed. She heard another growl and turned around to the other boy, who was getting ready to strike. "AND YOU, will also calm down!" Lucy yelled. The boy stopped mid swing, standing absolutely shocked. "Now, if you two would just calm down, I'm sure you two are not meant to kill each other." Lucy said.

"Lu, this is not your business." Peter said through gritted teeth.

"Not my business? Your kidding right." Lucy said.

"Actually no." Peter replied.

"Well to bad!" Lucy said.

"Who are you two?" the boy asked.

"Peter Pevensie! What kind of fight have you gotten yourself into now?!" Susan yelled walking up, bow in hand.

"Well..." Peter stuttered.

Edmund walked up, and started laughing. "Looks like Lu got ya this time! Way to go Lu!" Edmund laughed.

Susan was eyeing the other boy suspiciously. "Um, Ed, I don't think Peter fought Lucy. Even though she could kick his butt, still, I think he was fighting this boy... who are you by the way?" Susan said.

"Prince Caspian, and you would be?" the Prince asked.

Edmund stopped laughing. "Should I reply to this one Su?" Edmund asked.

"Sure, since Peter's a little... down... right now." Susan said, trying to keep back the laugh.

"Hahaha, very funny." Peter said.

"Well, before another fight starts... we would be King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, and Queen Lucy, and I'm sorry if that didn't come out right, but I just woke up, and it's not a very nice thing when you wake up to your little sister's scream." Edmund said.

"And it doesn't help the matter that he doesn't wake up easily anyway." Susan said.

"Hey, that's not..." but Susan raised an eyebrow at him "ok, maybe it is true. But you used to be the same way!"

"Yeah, sometimes we have to roll you out of bed to make you wake up." Lucy giggled, still holding Peter down.

"Can I get up now!" Peter exclaimed.

"Sure, I suppose, if you promise not to attack poor Prince Caspian again!" Lucy replied.

"WHAT?! He attacked me!" Peter exclaimed.

"Yeah, because you were going after minotaur." Lucy replied.

"Last time I checked, minotaurs weren't exactly our friends." Peter said.

"Things change when your being run out of your own country." one of the minotaurs said.

"I think I can relate." Edmund mumbled.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Peter asked.

"Nothing." Edmund replied, but Susan and Lucy understood. Peter and Edmund had been incredibly close, but now, it was different. When they left Narnia, he had changed, so it had affected Edmund the most out of them all.

Susan put her hand on Edmund's shoulder. "He'll come back." she whispered.

"I know, but when?" Edmund asked. Susan shrugged.

Lucy stood up and walked over to him, and grabbed his hand. "Maybe sooner than you think." she said with, what she hoped, was a reassuring smile.

Not to long after that, Edmund had to smile too. "How do you do that?" he asked.

"It's just who she is, Ed. You've lived with her all your life, you should know that by now." Susan replied.

"By the way, how long has your life been?" Caspian asked.

"Somewhere around 28 years." Edmund replied, slightly confused "Why?"

"Well, your not exactly what I expected." Caspian replied.

"Well there's something we have in common! Neither are you!" Edmund said a smirk growing on his face.

Susan smacked him, trying to contain her own grin. "Sshh." she said, though you could hear the chuckle.

Lucy on the otherhand wasn't as successful, and was giggling gleefully. Edmund knew he had succeeded in what he was trying to do, make his sister's laugh. To hide her smile, Susan started unstringing her bow, and put it in the quiver and strapped it around her back. Edmund put his sword back in it's sheath and strapped it around his waist.

"I'm sure you want this back." Caspian said, glaring at Peter, and handing him his sword.

Peter took the sword roughly from Caspian's grip and glarred back. "Now, where's this How the DLF mentioned?" Peter asked.

"Who is DLF?" Caspian asked.

"Oh sorry, Trumpkin." Peter replied.

"I thought we agreed not to use that name." Edmund said when he felt Lucy tense beside him.

"We never verbally agreed it." Peter replied.

"Well, I think we should!" Susan snapped.

"I thought she was supposed to be gentle." Caspian said.

"Depends. If you mess with us, not so much." Edmund said putting his arm around Lucy at the word 'us'.

"Protective older sister's do exist you know." Lucy said.

"Hmm, so your not the only sarcastic one." Caspian said looking between Edmund and Lucy.

"Nope." Susan, Edmund, and Lucy said in unison. The four of them were already forming friendship's, though Peter was still glarring at Caspian. He heard someone clear their throat.

"Our sword's are at your service." a voice said. Peter turned in the direction a smile on his face, but it faded when he saw nothing. "Down here your majesty." the voice said. Peter looked down and saw a mouse. His eyes went wide.

"Oh my gosh, he is so cute." Lucy whispered to Susan and Edmund.

"Huh?" Edmund said, his head snapping down to look at Lucy. Lucy pointed at the mouse. "Oh." he said with a sigh of relief.

Lucy shook her head, a smirk on her face that she was trying to hide.

"Well, come along. We must get to Aslan's How. There are many things you will probably wish to see." Caspian said, leading them off. The younger three of the Pevensie's started walking at the same time, from many years of practise, but Peter was already catching up with Caspian.


	31. Chapter 31

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoresses Note: Pretty angsty chapter. But their arriving at the How, which means not so great memories. Please review!**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 31_

* * *

When they arrived at the How, Lucy was becoming more and more tense, and Edmund, Susan, and Peter felt like they had been here before, but it wasn't a pleasant memory. When they got inside the How, Peter, Edmund, and Caspian stopped and looked around at the progress of the swords and weapons being made. Edmund noticed a few of the crossbow's.

"Since when does Narnia have crossbows?" he asked picking one up.

"Ever since the Telmarines invaded." Caspian replied.

"Hmm, I'm going to have to learn to use one of these." Edmund mumbled putting it back down, worried he might shoot someone.

"Peter, Edmund, you might want to see this." Susan said, peaking her head from around the corner.

Peter and Edmund exchanged a glance before following after her. Lucy was starring at one of the wall's when they got there. Pictures of them covered the walls.

"It's us." Susan said, in disbelief.

Lucy shuddered suddenly. "What is this place?" she asked looking over at Caspian.

"You don't know?" Caspian asked looking directly at her.

"No." she replied.

He picked up a torch and passed each of them. Edmund grabbed a torch, and they all followed after Caspian.

The tense feeling Lucy had only got stronger and stronger.

The sick at her stomach feeling Susan had only became worse and worse.

The feeling of running back to the front of the How haunted Edmund more and more.

And the feeling of more revenge plagued Peter with every step he took.

When they came around a corner each of their breathing seemed to stop. What lay in front of them, was their worst nightmare... The Stone Table.

Susan starred in horror, Edmund was speechless, Peter was the exact same way as Susan, and Lucy... Lucy felt like running up to the stone table and away from it at the same time. Because beyond the stone table, was an image of the great lion Himself, and Lucy didn't want to run from that. Susan walked up to the stone table, and layed a hand where her sister had once layed.

A smirk grew on Lucy's face and she walked up behind Susan.

"Why?" Susan asked, making Lucy stop.

Lucy had been planning to tickle her on her sides, like she had done years ago, but now, after a question like that, she decided against it, and her smile faded. "What?" Lucy asked.

"I still don't understand, why?" Susan said shaking her head.

"What don't you understand Su? I don't understand." Lucy said.

"I don't understand, why you did what you did. We could have taken you home. You would have been safe." Susan said.

"I couldn't let all that happen to Narnia because of me. Sure nothing would have come of it, but still I had to be sure. My life would be miserable right now, never knowing if Narnia survived, how long did the Narnian's suffer, what would have become of Narnia. I...I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Lucy replied.

"But Lu, you _died_. You were killed. You were taken away from us, if only for a night, it was still a torturous night. Do you even know what it was like to loose our little Lucy?" Susan asked.

"I wasn't little." Lucy mumbled, trying not to cry.

"You may not have been, but your our little sister, and... we found that night, that long night, that we can't live without you. If you hadn't come back, if Aslan's father hadn't done whatever He did, I don't know how long any of us would have survived." Susan said.

"Susan... stop." Lucy said, really holding back the tears now.

"And you know what's worse, having to watch Peter and Edmund leaving to prepare for battle. Never knowing if you'll see them again. I thought I would loose my entire family in one fatal swoop, and I would have, had you and Aslan not come to save the day." Susan said.

"Susan... please... stop." Lucy stuttered.

"Lucy, your more than you realize. And watching you suffer through these... aftermath's, of what that witch did to you, it's almost unbearable. I mean watching you shy away from me yesterday was one of the worst things I could ever experience, after you include watching you die of course, but still, Lucy, it's not easy watching you suffer, because I know even though watching you suffer, makes me suffer, your going through alot more pain than I." Susan said, reducing herself to tears.

Lucy was next, unable to control it, and threw herself at Susan. The two girl's gripped onto each other, sobbing, half-aware, half-unaware of the fact that their brother's and new friend were watching this.

Edmund was having a hard time keeping himself from crying as well, Peter was having just as hard a time, and Caspian was still trying to figure out what Susan and Lucy were crying about, considering he had pretty much not understood what all Susan was talking about. Sure he knew what had happened, but he didn't know the older three had been forced to watch.

"And you know what didn't help the issue?" Susan whispered, still crying.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"Hearing the witch say, bring Edmund up." Susan replied.

Lucy looked up at her sister. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, after the witch had killed you, she tried to do the same to Edmund. But he fought, and she decided to wait until battle to try and kill him." Susan replied.

Caspian was utterly confused by now. Since Peter was unable to speak, Edmund explained, very hoarsely and with many clearing-of-the-throat's, and Caspian finally understood why Susan and Lucy were an absolute mess, Peter looked like he wanted to curl up and cry, and Edmund seemed more like a scared little boy than the King he is.

Caspian stepped out of the room to let the siblings have their moment, and after a while Edmund walked over to the girl's.

"You know Ed, no ones here. You can drop your pride for a bit and cry." Susan said, still crying. Edmund shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. But a moment later, they heard Peter break into tears, where he was. Each of them look equally shocked at their older brother's sudden change of emotion. Edmund walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Y...you ok P...Pete?" Edmund stuttered.

Peter looked up at Edmund, and gave another sob before grasping his brother, and pulling him into a tight embrace, nearly crushing Edmund.

"What did he do with Peter?" Lucy whispered to Susan.

"Sshh." Susan said, smiling.

She could see the relief on Edmund's face. They all knew Peter wasn't all the way back, but at this rate Susan, Edmund, and Lucy would have Peter back soon.


	32. Chapter 32

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoresses Note: We're getting closer to the end. Not too much longer now. About 2 or 3 more chapters. Please review!**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 32_

* * *

"Our best chance is to strike them before they strike us." Peter said.

"But that's impossible! No one has ever taken that castle!" Caspian exclaimed.

"There's always a first time. We've learned that first hand." Peter replied calmly.

"If we dig in we could probably hold them off indefinitely." Susan said, speaking up for the first time.

Peter gave her a look as if to say, be quiet, this is no place for girl's.

"Besides, _if _the Telmarines are smart, they'll just wait and starve us out." Edmund said.

"If." Susan whispered, hiding her smile.

"We could collect nuts!" Peepiceek said.

"Yes! And throw them at the Telmarines! Shut up!" Reephicheep said "I think you know where I stand sire." he said looking up at Peter.

Peter nodded and looked over at Glenstorm. "If we get your troops in, can you handle the guards?" Peter asked.

"Or die trying." Glenstorm replied.

"That's what I'm worried about." Lucy whispered.

"I'm sorry?" Peter said turning to her. He then noticed she laying across the stone table, not unlike the way she had layed when she had died.

"Your all acting like there's two options, dying here, or dying there." she replied, staring up at the ceiling of the How.

"You really shouldn't be listening Lu." Peter said, turning away, unable to face her any longer.

"Well your not listening to me. Have you forgotten Aslan was the one who defeated the White Witch?" she asked, finally sitting up to look at him.

Peter turned around and glared at her. "I think we've waited for Aslan long enough." Peter said turning back to Glenstorm.

"Then until your plan includes counting Aslan somehow, don't ask for my help." Lucy said, walking out of the room.

Peter looked over at Susan in disbelief. "I'm with Lucy this time." Susan said walking after her sister.

Peter looked over at Edmund. "I'm guessing your with them." he said.

Edmund looked down as if trying to decide and then sighed. "Not this time." he replied down-heartedly.

"Well, this is a certain change." Peter said, turning back around, not even noticing how upset his brother was.

"I'm not finished yet." Edmund said making Peter turn back around.

"Then finish, nightfall is not to far away." Peter said.

"I'll go along with whatever plan you have, as long as it doesn't put our little sister in any more danger than she's already in, and as long as Aslan isn't against it." Edmund replied.

"Aslan isn't even here!" Peter exclaimed.

"Have you never heard of praying, Peter! And if you listen closely, He replies. You should try it sometime!" Edmund said walking from the room "Come get me when your ready." he called over his shoulder.

He hadn't been this upset with Peter in he didn't know how long, in fact, he could barely remember it! He wondered if he had ever been this upset!

"Peter is being the most stubborn, obnoxious, pig-headed-" a few colorful words flew "- jerk of a brother he has ever been, and most likely ever will be!" he heard Lucy exclaim.

"Lucy, I know he's not really Peter right now, but maybe we shouldn't have been so hard on him. He's already having hard enough time. And Edmund's more loyal to Aslan than anything else, and if Edmund turns against him... Peter may jump off the deep end, never to return!" he heard Susan reply.

"Then let him go." Edmund said walking in the room.

Susan and Lucy exchanged a glance at Edmund's response. "Ed, are you feeling ok?" Susan asked, walking over and feeling of her brother's forehead.

"I'm fine, but if he's going to forget Aslan, Peter may be the High King, but the Narnian's won't follow him like they did." Edmund replied.

"He's right." Lucy said.

"Maybe we should help. Aslan will show up eventually. I mean last time He didn't show up for over 100 years, and came back just in time. It's been over 1300 years, so now, now we just have to wait." Susan said.

"I'm not helping! Aslan will come, I know He will! And we're just going to loose Narnians fighting without waiting for what Aslan wants us to do!" Lucy said.

"But Lucy...."

"Ssshh, it'll keep her out of the castle assault." Edmund whispered, interrupting Susan. Susan gave him a look, and then glanced back over at Lucy.

"Whatever you want to do." Susan said walking out of the room. Lucy looked over at Edmund, slightly shocked that her older sister's perspective had changed so suddenly.

"What's wrong with her?" Lucy asked.

"Uh, mood swings." Edmund suggested before running out of the room.

"My whole family is loosing it." Lucy muttered to herself.


	33. Chapter 33

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 33_

* * *

Lucy approached one of the gryphons. She knew what she was going to ask, and she hoped and prayed the gryphon accepted. She had decided that she would go after all, but in secret, and return before anyone truely knew she was gone.

She knew this was one of the female gryphon's and was planning on staying behind, but Lucy had come to know this gryphon well, and knew she would do pretty much anything for her.

"Nina." Lucy called out.

"Lucy, how are you?" the gryphon greeted warmly.

Even after a few hours of knowing each, Lucy had convinced Nina to call her Lucy, instead of Queen Lucy. "I've definitely been better, but I have a request." Lucy replied.

"Whatever it is, I will do what I can." Nina said, growing slightly worried.

"Take me to that castle. I want to fight, but I don't want any other Narnian to know." Lucy replied.

"Not even King Edmund or Queen Susan." Nina said, sounding shocked.

"Not even them. They would worry about me, and I don't want that. So, will you?" Lucy asked.

"As long as you will ride on my back, and not get out of my sight." Nina replied.

"Agreed. We'll have to leave, later than them, and then leave the castle earlier. I'll have to change, of course, this dress is too bright, and just a tad too long. Susan may not be a fan of shorter dresses, but fighting in long dress is suicide!" Lucy said.

"I understand that part. It's probably easy to trip, which makes you more suseptable to getting attacked." Nina said.

"Exactly! Finally, someone who understands!" Lucy exclaimed. Nine chuckled.

"So how long should we wait, between times?" Nina asked.

"I'd say about 30 minutes." Lucy replied.

"Yes, that should be good. You won't load me down at all, considering you barely weigh anything." Nina said.

"Oh really." Lucy said sounding offended.

"Well, let's just see." Nina said. The two walked outside, Lucy climbed on her back, and Nina took flight. "You can't weigh but 20 pounds!" Nina exclaimed.

"I weigh 86 pounds, thank you very much!" Lucy replied.

"Your still small." Nina said.

"You sound just like Susan!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Well, while we're up here, work on your grip. I'm going to have to fly as fast as I can to get us there and back as quickly and quietly as possible." Nina said.

"Give me your best shot." Lucy replied.

"As you wish." Nina said.

But they ended up having more fun than anything else. Not to long after they heard another pair of wings. Lucy looked down, and saw Nina's husband, with Edmund on his back flying up.

"What are you two doing?" Edmund asked, slightly amused.

Lucy looked down at Nina, and both knew a humorous answer. "Girl time." they replied.

"Hmmm, sorry I asked." Edmund said.

"Nina, let's see how well you can carry our queen around, when your racing me." Nina's husband said.

"A challenge, I accept. Hang on Lucy." Nina replied.

With that said both gryphons took off. Edmund clung on, having not expected the sudden speed, but Lucy, already having trained a bit, sat perfectly on Nina's back.

"Come on Himnar." Edmund urged once he got his seating. When they had rounded back to Aslan's How, Nina and Himnar stopped in midair.

"Now what's your real reason?" Edmund asked, out of breath.

"Nothing." Lucy replied quickly, also out of breath. And before Edmund could say more, Nina dove to the ground, Lucy jumped off her back and ran into the How.

"She's definitely hiding something" Edmund said suspiciously

"And I think I know what it is." Himnar landed and Edmund walked in the How, in search of Lucy.

He found her sorting through a trunk that had dresses about her size in it. "Ow!" she exclaimed as she actually fell in the trunk.

"Need some help?" Edmund asked.

"Maybe!" came Lucy's smothered reply.

Edmund smiled and walked over to the trunk, and helped Lucy out. "Thanks." Lucy said, a dress in hand. She glanced down at it and hid it behind her back.

"What are you doing?" Edmund asked.

"Nothing." Lucy said quickly.

"Why do you have a dress, not to mention a dark colored one?" Edmund asked.

"So what, I'm depressed." Lucy said.

"Then why does it come... just below your knees?" he asked holding it up to her.

"Um..." Lucy stuttered.

"Promise me you'll where a chain mail shirt." Edmund said with a shake of his head.

Lucy looked down. "I promise. Wait, that would make me more noticable."

"Not if you put this over it." Edmund said, grabbing a dark colored tunic from the trunk.

"What's that doing in there?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know." Edmund replied, just as confused as Lucy "But I think it was mine."

"Looks like it." Lucy said looking it over "Yep, there's the arrow whole."

Edmund shivered. "That was not a fun day for me."

"Wasn't a fun day for anybody. Their Just Narnian King was almost assassinated."

"And promise me one more thing." Edmund said, changing the subject.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"You'll be careful." Edmund replied.

"I promise." Lucy said.

"Edmund!" they heard Peter call.

"Hurry, put it up!" Edmund said shoving everything in the trunk and closing it just in time.

"What are you two doing in here?" Peter asked, barely even glancing at Lucy.

"Just looking around." Edmund replied "Come on, let's go check out the armory."

"Why would we want to... oh yes, let's go look at the armory." Lucy said, stopping herself when she saw the look Edmund was giving her.

He obviously wanted to find her a chain mail shirt that fit. "But you've already seen the armory." Peter said giving a suspicious look to Edmund.

"Yes, but Lucy hasn't." Edmund said with a wry grin. He pulled Lucy past Peter, who stood their dumbstruck.

"Yeah their defnitely up to something." he muttered under his breath before walking off. There was still plenty of work to do and a few hours of sunlight left, so he had no time to learn what his younger siblings were doing.

Edmund and Lucy walked to the armory and then over to where the chain mail was being made. Lucy could see they already had Peter's finished, and were very nearly done with Edmund's.

"Excuse me, do you have a chain mail shirt that would possibly fit my sister?" Edmund asked.

"Queen Susan, or Queen Lucy?" the dwarf asked.

"Queen Lucy." Edmund replied, noticing he didn't specify which one.

"We made one in case she goes to battle, here you are." the dwarf replied handing Lucy the chain mail shirt.

"Thank you" she said.

"Are you going to try it on now?" the dwarf asked.

"That's exactly where I'm going." Lucy said walking away, the shirt still in hand.

"Thank you again." Edmund said, following after Lucy.

She pulled it on over the dress she was already wearing and found it fit perfectly, but she was going to need something to keep it together in the front.

"They made Susans that way as well, I saw it." Edmund said as Lucy started trying to figure out why it didn't meet in the front.

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, it'll be fine." Edmund replied.

"Ok, and promise you won't tell anybody." Lucy said.

"I won't." Edmund replied.

"Won't tell anybody what?" Susan asked from the doorway.

"Um..." Lucy stuttered.

"And why are you wearing a chain mail shirt?" she asked.

Edmund gulped, knowing his older sister would soon put two and two together.

"Don't tell me your thinking of going on the castle raid!" Susan exclaimed.

"Ssshh." Edmund hissed, gesturing for Susan to come over to them.

"And your doing it secretly!" Susan exclaimed in a whisper.

"Susan, I'm not a child anymore. I can fight, and you know it!" Lucy replied.

"But Lucy, what if you get hurt? No one will know." Susan said.

"I've already got Nina on my side. I'll be fine." Lucy replied.

"But where are you going to fight at? If you come down in the court yard, Peter will find out somehow." Susan said.

"I can fight from the roof, I'll have my bow, and I can duck whenever I see someone look up. You know I can hide myself well, I always have been. And I've been especially good at it since we came back from Narnia, and with school and all that." Lucy replied.

"I suppose you have been." Susan said.

"I'll be fine Su." Lucy said.

"Alright. I won't tell anyone, but please, _please _be careful." Susan said.

"I will." Lucy replied.

"I suppose I should face the fact your growing up again, huh?" Susan asked.

"Yeah." Lucy said with a slight grin.

"Are you sure she should?" Susan asked looking at Edmund.

"I trust her to take care of herself. She'll be fine." he replied.

"Alright." Susan said.

Lucy slipped the chain mail shirt off, and put it in the trunk, for they had come to the room they had been in before.

"Ed, you better go ahead and get ready, it won't be long before we have to leave." Susan said.

"Alright." he said, walking away, heading to the room that he was staying in, while at the How.

Susan was already ready, and so she didn't have to leave, but the room fell quiet. "I'm sorry!" Susan finally blurted out.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" Lucy asked.

"EVEYRTHING!" Susan exclaimed.

Lucy looked utterly confused by now, her eyes wide, starring at her older sister, slightly nervous. "Susan..." Lucy said nervously.

"Lucy. All my life I haven't been the sister I should be. Letting danger come to you, not watching out for you. I mean, if I would have payed attention, you would have never went to the witch! We could have went to Aslan and everything would have been perfectly fine! And what's worse, even when we got you back, I took your for granted. All this time, I've been saying Peter does that to Edmund, but... I should have said it to myself instead." Susan said, rubbing her hand across Lucy's cheek.

"Oh Susan." Lucy said, hugging her sister.

Each girl held the other closely, not wanting to let each other go. "Be careful tonight Lucy. I couldn't bare it if something happened to you." Susan said, rubbing Lucy's back.

"I'll be fine. You take care of yourself. Your the one who's going to be on the frontlines." Lucy replied, gripping Susan tighter. Both girl's fell silent.

"Susan." Peter called. Susan looked up. "It's time to go." Peter said, looking down. Susan nodded and gave Lucy one final squeeze before walking past Peter.

Lucy looked at Peter, waiting for him to do something... _anything_. Finally she gave up, and turned around to stare at the wall, upset he wasn't saying anything, but immediately turned back around. "I'm not going to let you blocking the doorway keep me from saying good-bye to the brother who actually cares about me!" Lucy snapped, rushing past him.

She finally found Edmund strapping his sword around his waist beside the patiently waiting Himnar. "Good luck." Lucy said, walking up to him.

Edmund looked up and smiled, but the smile faded. "You look flushed, is everything ok?" he asked.

"Yeah. I just ran into Peter." Lucy replied.

"Oh" Edmund said nodding his head.

"So how long are you an Nina going to wait?" he whispered once she got closer.

"Somewhere aroung thirty minutes. That's probably how long it's going to take just to get ready with all the clothing I have to put on." Lucy said, with a slight laugh.

"It's better to be safe than sorry, you never know when someone might see and then shoot at you." Edmund said.

Both of them fell silent for a moment, before Lucy ran forward and threw her arms around Edmund's neck, stretching upwards. "Be careful Edmund." she warned.

He hugged her tightly. "I will. It's you I'm worried about." Edmund replied.

"I'm not going to be in harms way." Lucy said.

"It's not that I'm worried about." Edmund said.

"Then what are you worried about?" Lucy asked.

"Your back." Edmund replied.

Lucy seperated from him. "My back will be fine." she said.

"This is a stressful situation. And it usually happens in a stressful situation." Edmund said.

"Well, the past couple days has been a stressful situation." Lucy said.

"I suppose that's true." Edmund said.

Nina walked up behind Lucy. "I'll keep her safe." she said.

"Thank you." Edmund said gratefully.

Nina nuzzled Himnar. "Keep King Edmund safe as well, and don't drop him." Nina said.

"Not on purpose anyway." Himnar said sarcastically. Lucy looked at him wide-eyed. "I'm joking." Himnar said, once seeing her expression.

Lucy let out a breath, and Edmund chuckled. Lucy threw her arms around his neck once more. "See you in the morning." she said, since Peter was approaching.

"See you in the morning." Edmund replied "And get straight to bed, I want you to be awake when we return." Edmund finished, with a wink.

"Oh, but Edmund..." Lucy whined, hoping to make it sound realistic.

"Go to bed." Peter said.

Lucy glanced at him. "Be careful." she said to Edmund before walking out of the room.

Lucy walked to her room, and put the blanket up over the doorway. Since the How didn't have proper doors, Lucy and Susan had come up with idea of putting blanet's up. The blue one she had chosen meant she had gone to bed, and she did not under any circumstances want to be disturbed.

"Lucy." she heard a voice say as soon as she had put it up. She pulled it back and saw Caspian standing there.

"Caspian?" she said confused.

"You should know this. Peter told me not to tell you, but he's not here, so I'm going to tell you anyway." he said.

"O..k" Lucy stuttered, nervous on what Peter had said about her.

"He really does care about you, but as he said himself, he doesn't know how to show it to you anymore." Caspian said.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"To quote him directly, he said he knows your fragile right now, he mentioned something about getting stabbed again, and a dream he had of that Witch saying she would get her revenge, and would never stop until you were dead, and he's afraid if he does the sightest thing, you'll break into pieces, and in more ways than one." Caspian said.

"When did he say this?" Lucy asked.

"After everyone had left the stone table area. He stayed, and he didn't even notice my presence, and he said that, so I don't know if he was talking to me, but when he saw I was there, he told me not to tell you what he had just said, but... you needed to know. And I'm sure he'll tell you in his own time, but if he doesn't, now you know." Caspian replied.

"Thanks." Lucy said pulling back into the room.

"And one more thing!" Caspian called.

She sighed and pulled the blanket back only to find him smirking. "What?" she asked.

"Good luck." he replied.

"How'd you find out?" she asked.

"I wasn't to far away when I heard Edmund ask for the chain mail shirt. It was pretty easy from there." he replied.

She rolled her eyes. "Well thanks then. And good luck yourself." she said going back in the room.

She pulled out all the things she'd need. For the time being she only put on the dress, and left everything else off. She snuck to where the other weapons were stored, and luckily there was no one in there. She found a bow that fit her height and weight, made sure it worked for her, and then grabbed the quiver and arrows that went with it. She made it back to the room without anyone seeing her. She pulled the chain mail shirt on, picked out vest that would hold the chain mail in place, pulling the tunic on. She found a dark blue cloak that had a hood and pulled it on. She then strapped the quiver around her back, but kept the bow in hand. She slipped on a pair of darker shoes, that would make little noise, and then braided her hair, to keep it out of her face, and out of the way. She pulled the hood up, and snuck out to find Nina. Nina was waiting outside, in a place they could easily take off, without anyone seeing. Lucy climbed on Nina's back, and they took flight.


	34. Chapter 34

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoresses Note: Now this chapter shows exaclty _how _Lucys back began having the fits it does. Sorry for the shortness! I promise the next chapter will be longer. And I think I can conclude this story in 2 chapters, maybe 3, possibly even 1. The more reviews, the longer it will be! SO REVIEW! PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU! *clears throat* anywho... enjoy!**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 34_

* * *

Lucy could already hear the fighting as they aimed towards the roof. Nina bent low as to not be seen, as Lucy aimed and shot, aimed and shot, over and over again. She kept having to duck, but luckily she was never found out. A Telmarine snuck up behind Lucy, and not yet knowing this was the Narnian queen instead of a little girl, he threw her to the ground, ready to strike if need be. Although he had no need to retaliate, as Lucy froze on the ground, as if unable to move.

Nina gave a cry, and the Telmarine knew he had made a mistake this time. But Nina had no time to protect Lucy, for the Telmarine fell dead, and in his place stood a very angry looking Edmund.

"Been chasing me all night, now you go after my little sister..." and the list went on as he muttered things, some quite colorful things, under his breath.

"What's wrong with her?" Nina finally asked.

Edmund looked down at Lucy who's face was screwed up in pain, but no sound escaped. He bent down to her. "What hurt's?" he asked.

"My... back" Lucy stuttered.

"Oh, I knew it!" Edmund exclaimed.

"I'm sorry." Lucy whispered, unable to speak any louder from the pain.

"No, Lucy, don't think like that. Just go back to the How, this probably won't last to much longer anyway. Peter will have to call a retreat soon." Edmund replied. Lucy's eyes started closing. "Lu, you need to stay awake, ok. At least until you get back." Edmund said, shaking her. He picked her up and put her on Nina's back. "Do not let her fall." he said to Nina.

Nina nodded her head, and started back to the How, and Edmund went back to fighting. Eventually Lucy passed out as she began to remember when the pain in her back had began...

_"We're gonna go outside." Susan called out, as she Edmund and Lucy started outside. _

_"Wait, I'll come too, there's not much work today." Peter replied. _

_When they had been walking for a while, Lucy looked up a tree and saw an apple and decided to climb for it. _

_"Be careful!" Susan warned as she saw her little sister begin the climb. Lucy looked down and smiled before continuing the decent. She finally reached the apple and smiled at her success. She felt the tree begin to move, and noticed it was dryad. _

_"Hello" Lucy greeted. The tree didn't respond, and began to shake. Lucy began to grow slightly worried. "I'm a friend. I'm Queen Lucy." Lucy said. The tree began to shake more. _

_"Lucy! Are you alright!" Peter yelled. _

_"Yeah!" Lucy replied. _

_Lucy started to climb down, forgetting about the apple she had picked, when the branch pulled away, and Lucy fell. She landed on her back, and in the perfect spot for a rock to place itself in her back. She gave a cry of pain, and thanked Aslan she didn't hit her head. _

_Her three siblings rushed over to her, and found exactly why their sister had made such a sound. Peter carefully picked her up, and they rushed back to Cair Paravel which wasn't to far away. When they got their Susan checked her back, and found their was a massive bruise, from the rock, but also a long red scar. She quickly called their brother's in the room, and they both grimaced as they saw the scar and the bruise. _

_"What do you think happened?" Edmund asked. _

_"Her time with the witch." Susan mouthed. _

_Edmund closed his eyes and turned away, and Peter became red. Susan carefully laid Lucy back down, and led her brother's out into the hall. _

_"We can only hope it's not permanent." she whispered. _

_"What do you mean?" Peter asked. Edmund just looked between the two of them. _

_"I mean, I think... since she's already had a wound there before, it could do permanent nerve damage. I can't be sure though." Susan said. _

_"Can't we give her her cordial?" Peter asked. _

_"It might work. It couldn't make thing any worse, that's for sure." Susan replied. Susan walked back in the room and picked up Lucy's cordial. "Does your back feel any better?" she asked. Lucy shook her head, her face still showing the clear signs of pain. "We're going to try your cordial, ok?" Susan said. _

_Lucy nodded her head, and Susan gave her a drop. Eventually the pain subsided, but what they didn't know, was that it did leave a permanent mark, just wouldn't show itself at all times. _

Ever since that day, every now and again, Lucy would be painfully reminded of it. The pain would fade after a while, but it would still come at the worst possible times, and one of those times just happened to be tonight. Lucy passed out soon, but was able to stay safetly on Nina's back.

When they got back to the How, the sun was already rising. Lucy woke up and rolled of Nina, very carefully.

"Thanks Nina." Lucy said hoarsley before sneaking inside. She made it back to her room, and was able to take the quiver, cloak, and tunic off, but after that she became so tired it overwhelmed her, and she blacked out, this time across the bed.


	35. Chapter 35

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoresses Note: Only one more chap after this! Please review!**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 35_

* * *

"Lucy, wake up, Lucy." Edmund said shaking Lucy awake. When she opened her eyes she saw Susan and Edmund towering over her.

"Are you alright?" Susan asked.

Lucy carefully sat up. "Yeah, I think so." she replied.

They both let out a breath. "Come on, let's get this chain mail off." Susan said, helping her little sister take the chain mail shirt off. Susan very nearly had it in the trunk when Peter walked in. He saw the mail shirt in Susan's hand, the bow and quiver half full of arrows against the wall, and Lucy in a shorter darker dress and froze where he was. "Peter, it's not what it looks like." Susan said shoving the chain mail behind her back.

"Oh. Because it looks like Lucy snuck out, went on the raid, and cam back before anyone knew she was gone. And you two were in on it!" Peter said, his voice raising slightly near the end. Lucy and Edmund looked down.

"Ok, it is what it looks like." Susan said throwing the mail shirt down.

"Peter, they had nothing to do with it! It was all my idea! They just promised not to tell anyone, so if your going to yell at one of us, yell at me!" Lucy said, standing up, walking over to Peter, and standing as high as she possibly could, to stare him in the face.

"Is this true?" he asked looking over at Susan and Edmund.

"On Susan's part, yes. But I had to help a bit." Edmund said.

"But keeping a secret is just as bad!" Susan said.

"Shut... up." Edmund said glarring at Susan.

She glarred back. "If you two are going down, I'm going down with you." she said.

"Do you know just how wierd that sounds?" Edmund asked. Susan shrugged.

"I'm not going to yell at any of you. I'm just upset you did this behind my back." Peter said.

Suddenly, Lucy screamed. "Oh no. No no no no no NO!" she said running from the room. Peter looked over at Susan and Edmund who were completely confused. They needed no words to take off running at the same time.

"What is it Lu?" Susan asked when they caught up to her.

"The Witch. I can feel her. I just can't tell where." Lucy replied. The older three exchanged extremely worried glances. "The Stone Table!" Lucy cried, starting to run in that direction.

"Lucy! Wait!" Edmund exclaimed.

Peter caught up with her again first though and pulled her back. "Maybe you should stay back." he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Be..because, um... because who know's what she'll try and do." Peter replied after some stuttering, and rumaging through his head for an answer.

"Peter, I'll be fine." Lucy said, starting to run again.

Peter glanced back at Susan and Edmund. "Well, she's not going alone." he said pulling out his sword and running after her. Susan and Edmund nodded at each other before pulling out their weapons and taking after Peter and Lucy.

When they got to the room that the stone table was in, they saw a wall of ice, and in the wall was the witch herself, with her hand extended. In front of the wall was Caspian with his hand extended toward the witch. The witch looked up and gave an evil grin as she layed eyes on Lucy.

"Come on now. One drop." she said to Caspian.

Trumpkin was fighting Nikabrik, and Lucy found he was loosing so went to help. A hag attacked Peter and a werewolf attacked Edmund. When Lucy got to Nikabrik, she put her dagger to his neck. He faught and struggled, and eventually was able to catch her arm, twisting it behind her back. She bit her lip, and held in the cry that wanted to come out. He ripped the dagger from her hand, and pushed her. She was able to catch herself, but when she turned over, he was ready to attack her. But before he did, he fell, and Trumpkin was standing there.

"Consider us even." he mumbled sitting down beside her and looking over her wrist, that was begining to turn different colors.

"Hurry, come on. Quickly." the witch said urgently to Caspian.

Peter pushed Caspian out of the way and pointed his sword at the witch. "Get away from him." he growled.

"Peter dear." the witch said sweetly "I've missed you."

"I find it funny that you can miss me." Peter said.

"I have. And you know what else, one drop of Adam's blood, will bring me back. I can help you." the witch said. Peter lowered his sword, slightly. "You know you can't do this alone." the witch said. He lowered his sword even more. Edmund glanced between the witch, Peter, and the horror-struck Lucy, and made an immediate decision. Peter started looking between his sword and his hand, but was still hesitant. The witch took this temporary distraction to lunge her hand toward Lucy. "But a Daughter of Eves _life _blood will do just as well." she said.

Befure her hand reached Lucy, an angry cry came from the back of the wall and a moment later, the wall was gone, only to reveal a very angry looking Edmund. If looks could kill, Peter would have been dead 10 times over... if not more. "Next time... I'm with Lucy." Edmund growled before walking away.

Edmund walked over to Lucy and helped her up, then started looking over her wrist. When they were out of the room, Susan was close behind, Trumpkin spoke up.

"Does 'if this wall breaks I will never be able to get my revenge' mean anything to either of you?" he asked.

"It sounds slightly familiar, yes." Susan replied "Why?"

"Because the witch said that, and it left me bewildered." Trumpkin replied.

Susan looked over at Edmund who seemed to be trying to remember it. Slowly she began laughing, until it built up into a hysterical laughter. Lucy raised an eyebrow at her, and leaned a little closer to Edmund, out of fear her older sister had gone mad in an instant.

"You did it!" Susan finally said, looking at Edmund.

"Come again?" Edmund said.

"You did it!" Susan said again.

"What did I do, am I in trouble?" Edmund asked.

"TROUBLE! ARE YOU JOKING!" Susan exclaimed.

"No, because I have absolutely no clue what I did!" Edmund replied.

"You killed the witch!" Susan exclaimed.

"Yeah, I've done that... 1... 2 times now." Edmund replied.

"No! For good, Edmund! For good! That's why she was so eager to get free! That was her _last chance_!" Susan exclaimed.

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed, a big smile coming across her face, despite the pain in her wrist.

"How?" Edmund asked, completely in shock.

"Since someone tried to bring her back, and it didn't succeed, she can _never _come back! The wall was destroyed, which was her only way to come back. Once it's destroyed, it can't be brought up again! And now she's trapped there!" Susan replied.

"You mean, it's over." Lucy said.

"It's over! She can't haunt you anymore!" Susan replied.

"I still have the memorie's though." Lucy said looking down.

"But even time will wear those away." Susan said.

"No, not these memories. Their like scar's, they'll never go away, though they can be ignored." Lucy replied.

"At least she can't try and kill you anymore." Edmund said.

"True." Lucy said "Thank you!" she said, lunging at Edmund, but only hugging him with one arm, thanks to the throbbing wrist that kept her from using it.

"I'm just glad it's over." Edmund sighed.

"Did I miss something?" Trumpkin asked, who was still standing there.

"You see, the witch may have been killed, but she somehow managed to be able to come back. Since the remaining Narnians that are still loyal to her tried to bring her back, and Edmund destroyed the ice wall, she's trapped there forever, even when the ice melts and evaporates." Susan said.

"Oh, I do understand." Trumpkin said.

"Now Lucy, let me take a look at that wrist of yours." Susan said.

Lucy showed Susan her wrist, that was now a purplish-blue. "Oh my goodness." Susan exclaimed.

"I don't think it's broken." Lucy said quickly, trying to keep Susan from going crazy.

"You don't _think _or do you know?" Susan asked.

"It's just a thought." Lucy replied.

"Either way, it can't be left that way." Susan said reaching for Lucy's cordial.

"Susan! It's not that bad!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Ed, back me up here." Susan said. Lucy looked up at him with her puppy-dog eyes.

"Uh..." he stuttered. Susan lifted up Lucy's arm showing him the bruise. "Hmm, sorry Lu, just take it." he said. Lucy made a face, but submited to the cordial Susan held up.

"Do you want to spar?" Caspian asked walking up. He was looking at Edmund, who nodded and walked after him.

"Boy's." Susan mumbled, but went after them, wanting to watch.

Trumpkin looked up at Lucy who kept looking between the stone table room and Caspian, Susan, and Edmund. She walked back towards the Stone Table but Trumpkin walked on.


	36. Chapter 36

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

**Authoresses Note: Short, I know. But good for an ending! I've enjoyed writing, but this isn't the last you've heard of me! MWAHAHAHA *breaks off into caughing fit* Sorry. Anyway, please review!**

_The Neverending Winter_

_Chapter 36_

* * *

Lucy re-entered the room to find Peter sitting on one of the steps of the Stone Table, looking at the picture of Aslan. She walked towards him, a bit afraid of what is reaction would be. He didn't even glance at her as she sat beside him, only sighed and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry." were his first words.

"What?" she asked.

"I stood there like an idiot. She could have killed you... she _would _have killed you if Edmund hadn't stepped in. And I'm sorry." he said, finally looking at her.

"It's alright. I understand. You've been needing help, and the witch was the first truely powerful one to offer it." she said.

"But that didn't make it right. I didn't even think of the consequences. She would have killed my little Lucy."

"I'm not little."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too. Well... you are to me anyway. I know your growing up... again. But... I've just been scared to say anything to you. Afraid whatever I might say would hurt you. Or if I even touched you, you might dissapear like you, Susan, or Edmund sometimes do in my dreams. But I know now that your not as fragile as you were... now that she's gone. And I'm sory for being such an a... jerk."

"Peter, stop. Like I said, I understand. You don't have to worry about it... but it is nice to have my brother back." she smiled, hugging him tightly.

He chuckled, hugging her back tightly. "It's good to be back."


End file.
